NEW YORK (AP) — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. said Wednesday a U.S. Court backed a ruling that overturned a patent behind Bayer Schering's birth control pill Yasmin.
Teva said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit supported an earlier ruling made by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The ruling allows Teva to launch its own generic version of the drug rather than licensing it from Bayer Schering.
Under terms of an agreement reached in June 2008, Teva's Barr Pharmaceutical subsidiary buys a generic version of Yasmin from Bayer Schering and sells it under the name Ocella. Teva said Ocella was launched in July 2008, and sales for that year were $170.2 million.