Eye drug makers Allergan Inc. of Irvine and Alcon Inc., which employs about 500 people across town, said Thursday they’re settling two patent fights.
Allergan filed both lawsuits. The company prevailed in one while another was dropped.
The first suit involved patents covering Alphagan, Allergan’s glaucoma medication.
Allergan charged that Fort Worth, Texas-based Alcon, a unit of Nestl & #233; SA, violated those patents with development of drugs containing brimonidine, Alphagan’s active ingredient.
The settlement calls for Alcon to get a license from Allergan in 2009 for its product Polyquad and to pay royalties on U.S. sales.
The deal also allows Alcon to enter the brimonidine market almost 10 years before patents expire.
Allergan’s second suit involved alleged infringement of patents for an eye antibiotic. Alcon has said the complaint was intended to target its Vigamox drug. The settlement called for that suit to be dropped.
