US court rules for AstraZeneca in Seroquel case

The US District Court of New Jersey has granted Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca's "motion for summary judgment of no inequitable conduct" with respect to its patent on the blockbuster bipolar disorder and schizophrenia drug Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate) in the USA.

The UK-headquartered company has sued Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Swiss drug major Novartis' generics unit Sandoz alleging infringement of its Seroquel patent, by filing Abbreviated New Drug Applications for copy versions of the drug, the patent on which is not due to lapse until 2011. The NJ court had set a date for the trial beginning on August 11. Teva and Sandoz had already conceded infringement and the validity of AstraZeneca's patent, so only the inequitable conduct contentions remained unresolved, and thus further trial is now unnecessary, says the drug major. However, Teva has issued a statement saying it plans to appeal.