Zacks: Warner Chilcott can withstand generic threats

NEW YORK — Drug maker Warner Chilcott's diversified portfolio of drugs will help it weather generic challenges to its patents, according to a new report by Zacks Investment Research.

Zacks noted that Warner Chilcott recently had received a notice from Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA that the latter would seek to challenge a patent covering the ulcerative colitis drug Asacol HD in order to market a generic version by filing a regulatory approval application with the Food and Drug Administration containing a paragraph IV certification, a legal assertion that the patent is invalid, unenforceable or won't be infringed.

The patent in question is set to expire in November 2021, though Warner Chilcott plans to sue to protect it. Zacks said other drugs made by Warner Chilcott face generic competition as well, though the firm didn't specify which ones and took a "neutral" stance on the company.

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