Merck & Co settles US patent dispute over Zetia with Glenmark

US drug giant Merck & Co has reached an agreement to settle the patent litigation involving Indian drugmaker Glenmark's challenge to Merck's patent covering the cholesterol lowering drug Zetia (ezetimibe). Specifically, Glenmark challenged Merck's basic compound patent, RE 37, on numerous grounds.

Under the terms of the accord, Glenmark will be able to launch its generic copy of the product on December 12, 2016 or earlier under certain circumstances, some four months ahead of the April 25, 2017 expiration of Merck's patent exclusivity for Zetia. This settlement effectively ends the law suit that was scheduled to begin tomorrow (May 12), involving a challenge by Glenmark which sought to launch a generic version before the April 2017 expiration of the patent exclusivity covering Zetia.

Copy drug to be marketed by Par