Schering-Plough loses Claritin patent appeal
Schering-Plough has lost its case in the US Court of Appeals against the challenge to its Claritin patent, opening the way for generics manufacturers to supply the otc market with cheaper products containing the active ingredient loratadine.
Schering-Plough has lost its case in the US Court of Appeals against the challenge to its Claritin patent, opening the way for generics manufacturers to supply the otc market with cheaper products containing the active ingredient loratadine.
The company says it will continue to focus its energy on marketing the Claritin line as otc products. The conversion of claritin from prescription to otc status was approved by the US FDA in November 2002 and the otc product was launched in December 2002. Schering-Plough's sales of Claritin, a non-sedating antihistamine, in the US are estimated at US$400m a year.
However, the Court of Appeals' ruling does not affect other claims of the patent that relate to the company's Clarinex (desloratadine) product.