Abbott settles patent suit with Sandoz over antibiotic Omnicef

Abbott Laboratories said it settled a patent-infringement lawsuit filed against Novartis AG's Sandoz unit over generic versions of the antibiotic Omnicef.

Terms are confidential, said Scott Stoffel, a spokesman for Abbott. The companies agreed to end the case, according to a June 29 filing in federal court in Chicago. Abbott and Sandoz a week ago settled a suit over the antibiotic Biaxin XL.

Abbott lost an appeals court case last year seeking to stop sales of Sandoz's generic version of Omnicef until a trial is held. Companies including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. also sell copies of the drug. U.S. sales of Omnicef plunged to $3 million in 2009 from $235 million in 2007 because of competition from generic copies, according to Libertyville Township-based Abbott's annual report.

The case is Abbott Laboratories v. Sandoz Inc., 07cv1721, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago).