AstraZeneca and Teva resolve dispute over asthma med — AZ reacted quickly when Teva started shipping a generic version of Pulmicort Respules last week, before official patent expiration. The fight could have been ugly, but the parties reached a settlement in which Teva will get exclusive rights to a copycat license, with distribution beginning in December 2009. [Source: Pharmalot]
Merger speculation — Analyst Barbara Ryan of Deutsche Bank, a frequent commentator on Big Pharma, has released a report full of M&A predictions. She picks Pfizer, Merck, and BMS as likely buyers; BMS, Wyeth, Amgen, and Gilead as likely acquisitions; and Pfizer as the one with the most to gain from pursuing a buyout. [Source: WSJ Health Blog]
EU criticizes “strategic patenting” — An upcoming report from the EU’s Competition Commission will scrutinize the practice of making minor changes to a compound in order to secure longer patent protection. [Source: PharmaGossip]
An ultimatum from Indonesia — As many pharma companies outsource operations overseas, the Indonesian government will require companies with licenses to sell drugs in Indonesia to build production facilities in the country within two years. [Source: PharmaTimes]
