Schering-Plough has sealed an agreement with Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals and Orgenus Pharma, related to the generic manufacturing of certain formulations of CLARINEX (desloratadine).
The agreement marks the end of all pending litigations filed and consolidated since 2006, in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey. It was against several generic drug manufacturers that had sought approval to market solid oral dosage forms of desloratadine products in the US as generic brands, prior to the expiration of certain Schering-Plough patents.
Reportedly, the agreement resolves all pending patent infringement litigation filed by Schering against Orchid. It will allow Orchid to introduce a generic version of the CLARINEX brand – REDITABS to be introduced in the US market on 1 January, 2012, and CLARINEX brand 5mg tablets to be introduced on 1 July, 2012. Schering-Plough holds various patents related to CLARINEX that extend to 2022.