Watson, J&J settle lawsuit over generic contraceptive

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Subsidiaries of Watson Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson have settled a lawsuit filed by the latter when Watson attempted to market a generic version of one of its contraceptive drugs.



Watson said Wednesday that Watson Labs and Janssen Pharmaceuticals had settled a patent litigation suit filed in October 2008 over the drug Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol). Janssen filed the suit after Watson sought Food and Drug Administration approval for the drug prior to the expiration of a patent covering it; the patent covering the drug's use in adults is scheduled to expire in June 2019, according to FDA records.



Under the settlement, Janssen will manufacture and supply Watson with an authorized generic version of the drug, while Watson will have the right to market and distribute it and the end of 2015. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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