Watson Pharmaceuticals resolves Actos patent litigation

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America resolving outstanding patent litigation related to Watson's generic equivalent version of Actos® (Pioglitazone Hydrochloride) 15mg, 30mg and 45mg tablets.  Under terms of the agreement, Takeda granted Watson a non-exclusive royalty free license to its U.S. patents covering Actos®. Under the terms of the agreement, Watson is permitted to launch its generic equivalent version of Actos® on August 17, 2012, or earlier under certain circumstances. 

Actos® had approximately $3.4 billion in brand sales for the twelve months ending December 31, 2009, according to IMS Health. Actos® is a once-daily oral prescription medication that, with diet and exercise, has been shown to be effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Actos® is a registered trademark of Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.

SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.