Horizon agrees licensing deal over anti-inflammatory drug

Drugs company Horizon Pharma has agreed to settle a patent dispute centring on a proposed generic version of its anti-inflammatory drug Pennsaid (diclofenac sodium topical solution).

In a statement on Tuesday, September 15, Horizon announced it had agreed a settlement and licensing deal with Taro Pharmaceutical Industries, putting an end to the companies’ dispute.

Horizon sued Taro in July last year at the US District Court for the District of New Jersey in a complaint centring on Taro’s Abbreviated New Drug Application to market a generic version of the drug.

Under the settlement, Horizon and its subsidiaries have granted Taro a non-exclusive licence to manufacture and commercialise the generic version of Pennsaid in the US after January 10, 2029.

However, Taro may be able to enter the market earlier in certain circumstances, Horizon said.

According to Horizon the pair has agreed to submit the settlement agreement to the US Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice for review.