Sanofi settles litigation with Teva/Barr on generic Allegra and Nasacort AQ

French drug major Sanofi-Aventis has resolved litigation with Teva and Barr over the sales of their generic versions of the Allegra (fexofenadine) allergy product franchise and Nasacort AQ (triamcinolone acetonide) nasal spray. The latter will now be launched years prior to the expiration of its applicable patents, and a generic of Allegra D-12 will be available from November 2009. In return, the Paris-based firm will receive undisclosed royalties on sales. The deal resolves years of legal wrangling. One-time blockbuster Allegra, earned $175.4 million in third-quarter 2008, a 4.1% drop year-on-year. In 2005, USA-based Barr took the regulatory steps necessary to permit Israeli firm Teva to obtain final Food and Drug Administration approval of fexofenadine and to sell the product within its 180-day exclusivity in return for a percentage of gross profit. It was launched "at-risk" - without waiting for patent litigation to be resolved.