By The Associated Press

(AP) - WHAT HAPPENED: A U.S. federal court backed several patents protecting Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s multiple sclerosis treatment Copaxone from generic competition.

WHAT THAT MEANS: Teva said the decision should prevent other drugmakers from selling their versions of the drug until 2015, and it should prevent the Food and Drug Administration from approving generic versions until 2014. Some of the generic drugmakers that had challenged Teva's patent plan to appeal the ruling.

ABOUT COPAXONE: The drug is the biggest brand-name product for Israel-based Teva, which expects it to generate $3.8 billion in sales this year. Teva's primary business is generic drugs.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Comment

0

Share

0

Tweet

0

Print

Email

RSS Feeds