Teva can keep generic Protonix for now
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
A federal court decision allows Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to continue marketing the generic Rx proton pump inhibitor pantoprazole. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by Wyeth and Altana against the generic equivalent to Wyeth's Protonix delayed-release tablets, the Jerusalem-based firm said May 14. Pantoprazole has received a positive opinion in the European Union for a switch to nonprescription status, and has been mentioned for possible OTC switch in the U.S. (1"The Tan Sheet" Feb. 4, 2008, p. 3). Teva launched generic pantoprazole in December 2007 and said it is still involved in patent litigation with Wyeth and Altana over the product