Chennai-based pharma major, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Orchid) announced the settlement of the patent litigation with Forest Laboratories, Inc. relating to Memantine Tablets, Orchid’s generic version of Forest Laboratories, Inc.’s ‘Namenda®’ Tablets used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Pursuant to this settlement, Orchid would be free to commercially launch this product in January, 2015, or earlier in certain circumstances.

Orchid had in 2007 filed a Paragraph-IV certification, contesting that the patent was invalid or had not been infringed, resulting in the subsequent litigation with Forest. Additional terms of the settlement are confidential, and the agreement is subject to review by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Namenda (Memantine) recorded sales of approximately USD 950 million during the year 2009 in the USA.