Monday, June 17, 2013

U.S. Supreme Court Reverses U.S. Court of Appeals Decision in FTC v. Actavis, "benefits of the settlement outweigh harm to consumers..."


Actavis, Inc. (NYSE: ACT) today announced that the United States Supreme Court has reversed the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which had affirmed the District Court's ruling granting Actavis' motion to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit, FTC v. Actavis, Inc.  The Supreme Court's reversal was the result of a decision by a 5 to 3 vote.  The Court rejected the FTC's proposed "quick look" approach and adopted the traditional "rule of reason" as the standard.  Justice Alito did not take part in the decision.  The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with the opinion, and Actavis intends to defend its position.

"We are pleased that the Court rejected the FTC's proposed 'quick look' test, and did not rule that settlement agreements are presumptively unlawful.  Rather, the Court has established that the 'rule of reason' be applied, and left it to the lower courts to determine if the benefits of the settlement outweigh harm to consumers.  We believe this decision continues to provide for a lawful and legitimate pathway for resolving patent challenge litigation in a manner that is pro-competitive and beneficial to American consumers.  The Court's ruling however, does place an additional and unnecessary administrative burden on our industry," said Paul Bisaro, President and CEO of Actavis.  "Patent settlements have saved and continue to save consumers billions of dollars, and ensure more-timely introduction of generic competition.  We plan to continue to defend the propriety of such settlements against any further legislative or judicial challenges."

About Actavis:

Actavis, Inc. (NYSE: ACT) is a global, integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing generic, brand and biosimilar products. Actavis has global headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA.

Operating as Actavis Pharma, Actavis develops, manufactures and markets generic, branded generic, legacy brands and Over-the-Counter (OTC) products in more than 60 countries.

Actavis Specialty Brands is Actavis' global branded specialty pharmaceutical business focused in the Urology and Women's Health therapeutic categories. Actavis Specialty Brands also has a portfolio of five biosimilar products in development in Women's Health and Oncology. Actavis Global Operations has more than 30 manufacturing and distribution facilities around the world, and includes Anda, Inc., a U.S. pharmaceutical product distributor.

For press release and other company information, visit Actavis' Web site at http://www.actavis.com.

Read More.... http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-supreme-court-reverses-us-court-of-appeals-decision-in-ftc-v-actavis-211824801.html

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