Skip to content
Home - Media - Press releases    
2 July 2008
Summary Judgment Granted for SEROQUEL Patent Litigation in the US

AstraZeneca today announced that the US District Court for the District of New Jersey has granted the company's Motion for Summary Judgment of No Inequitable Conduct. AstraZeneca had sued Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Sandoz, Inc. alleging infringement of AstraZeneca's patent as a result of Teva's and Sandoz's filings of Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs). The ANDAs sought approval to market generic versions of SEROQUEL (quetiapine fumarate) tablets in the US before SEROQUEL's patent expires in 2011. Since the Court granted AstraZeneca's motion for Summary Judgment of No Inequitable Conduct in its entirety, trial is unnecessary.
"We are pleased with the Court’s decision to uphold our valid intellectual property. SEROQUEL remains an important part of our company's portfolio benefiting patients and physicians throughout the world," said David Brennan, CEO of AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca's Motion for Summary Judgment of No Inequitable Conduct sought judgment on all of the remaining liability issues in the case. Teva and Sandoz had already conceded infringement and the validity of AstraZeneca's patent. Thus, only the inequitable conduct contentions remained to be resolved. The Court had previously set a date for trial beginning on 11 August , 2008.

-ENDS-

CONTACTS:
Media Enquiries:
Steve Brown +44 207 304 5033 (24 hours)
Chris Sampson +44 20 7304 5130 (24 hours)
Neil McCrae +44 207 304 5045 (24 hours)


Investor Enquiries UK:
Jonathan Hunt +44 207 304 5087 mob: +44 7775 704032
Mina Blair +44 20 7304 5084 mob: +44 7718 581021
Karl Hard +44 207 304 5322 mob: +44 7789 654364

Investor Enquiries US:
Ed Seage +1 302 886 4065 mob: +1 302 373 1361
Jorgen Winroth +1 212 579 0506 mob: +1 917 612 4043
Peter Vozzo (MedImmune) +1 301 398 4358 mob: +1 301 252 7518
Notes To Editors

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of meaningful prescription medicines and supplier for healthcare services. AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $29.55 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infectious disease medicines. For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: www.astrazeneca.com

Broadcast quality footage is available to download from the Media section of our website at: http://br.thenewsmarket.com/Astrazeneca/br/Login/LoginPreRegistration.aspx
Journalists will be required to register to access this feature.

# # #

AstraZeneca websites
Search