Valeant agrees to license Acanya in Actavis settlement

Canadian pharmaceutical company Valeant announced yesterday (May 12) that it had settled all litigation related to its acne treatment Acanya (clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide) with Actavis.

Under the agreement terms, Valeant will grant Dublin-based Actavis a licence to market a generic version of Acanya gel from July 1, 2018.

In October last year, Actavis filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application with the US Food and Drug Administration for approval to market a generic version of Acanya.

On the 24th of that month, Valeant subsidiaries Dow Pharmaceuticals Sciences and Valeant Pharma North America LLC filed a patent infringement case against Actavis at the US District Court for the District of New Jersey.

According to IMS Health figures quoted by Actavis, Acanya had total US sales of about $121 million for the 12 months ending February 28, 2014.

Valeant and Actavis have also announced that Valeant Canada and Valeant International Bermuda agreed with Actavis Pharma Company to settle outstanding patent litigation related to Valeant’s high blood pressure drug Tiazac (diltiazem hydrochloride) XC.