Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Confirms Epiduo® Gel Patent Challenge

PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market Epiduo® (adapalene and benzoyl peroxide) Gel, 0.1% / 2.5%. Watson’s ANDA product is a generic version of Galderma Laboratories, L.P. Epiduo® Gel is a topical ointment prescription drug that combines a retinoid (adapalene) and an antimicrobial (benzoyl peroxide) for the treatment of acne vulgaris (severe acne) in people who are at least 12 years old.

Galderma Laboratories, L.P. filed suit against Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Watson Laboratories, Inc., on July 27, 2012 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division seeking to prevent Watson from commercializing its ANDA product prior to the expiration of certain U.S. patents. The lawsuit was filed under the provisions of the Hatch-Waxman Act, resulting in a stay of final FDA approval of Watson’s ANDA for up to 30 months from the date the plaintiffs received notice of Watson’s ANDA filing or until final resolution of the matter before the court, whichever occurs sooner, subject to any other exclusivities.

For the twelve months ending March 31, 2012, Epiduo® Gel had total U.S. sales of approximately $199 million according to IMS Health data.

About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an integrated global specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of generic pharmaceuticals and specialized branded pharmaceutical products focused on Urology and Women’s Health. The Company is also developing biosimilar products in Women’s Health and Oncology. Additionally, Watson distributes generic and branded pharmaceuticals through its Anda, Inc. distribution business. Watson has operations in many of the world’s established and growing international markets.

For press release and other company information, visit Watson Pharmaceuticals’ Web site at http://www.watson.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Watson’s current perspective of existing information as of the date of this release. It is important to note that Watson’s goals and expectations are not predictions of actual performance. Actual results may differ materially from Watson’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors, risks and uncertainties affecting Watson’s business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of product development efforts, including FDA and other regulatory agency approvals and actions, if any; the difficulty of predicting the timing and outcome of the pending patent litigation; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the timing and success of product launches; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; the availability and pricing of third party sourced products and materials; successful compliance with FDA and other governmental regulations applicable to Watson and its third party manufacturers’ facilities, products and/or businesses; changes in the laws and regulations, including Medicare and Medicaid, affecting among other things, pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products; and such other risks and uncertainties detailed in Watson’s periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Watson’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 and Watson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Epiduo® Gel is a registered trademark of Galderma Laboratories, L.P.

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SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.