Court blocks AstraZeneca's suits over Crestor

NEW YORK — A judge recently blocked AstraZeneca from attempting to impede the development of generic versions of its popular cholesterol drug, according to published reports.

Bloomberg reported that a judge from the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Wilmington) said that the drug maker can't use its patents expiring in 2018 and 2022 to prevent such companies as Mylan and Teva from developing generic versions of Crestor, since the patents only cover the methods of using the medicine. The generic drug makers are not required to put those uses on their labels, the judge said.

Back in June, AstraZeneca's patent was upheld by the court, which protects Crestor from generic competition in the United States until 2016.