Allergan and Alcon settle dispute

Allergan and Alcon have settled Allergan's patent infringement lawsuit, contending that Alcon's proposed brimonidine 0.15% product infringed two brimonidine-related patents owned by Allergan.

The suit, settled in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, USA, places three conditions on Alcon's marketing and distribution of its product. Alcon has agreed to a license beginning on September 30th 2009 in the US under both patents at issue; Alcon will not sell, offer for sale or distribute its brimonidine 0.15% until this date; thirdly, when its product does reach the market, it will pay Allergan royalties for sales in the US.

Allergan's range of brimonidine-containing products include the company's glaucoma medications Alphagan and Combigan.

Bird flies in to iCo

Canadian biotech company, iCo Therapeutics has announced that Dr. Alan Bird has joined its Strategic Advisory Team.

Bird is known for his pioneering research in the field of retinal disease, in particular for his part in identifying the genes that cause certain eye diseases. His career began at Moorfield's Eye Hospital, London, UK, where he made significant contributions in the development of treatments for retinal vascular disease and genetic and degenerative retinal disorders.

Bird has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the Alcon Research Award, The Helen Keller Prize, The Kayser Award and the Jules Francois Medal. Earlier this year he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Macular Society.

NicOx/Pfizer relationship blossoms

Pfizer is due to make an upfront payment of €8 million and NicOx will receive €3 million in research funding on each anniversary of the agreement for the duration of the research programme. Pfizer will also make a €15 million equity investment in NicOx, subject to approval by the shareholders. Furthermore, NicOx may receive total potential milestones in excess of €300 million in the ophthalmology field and royalties on each product marketed as a result of the collaboration.

NicOx has also announced promising preclinical results from its existing collaboration with Pfizer, which is focused on a single class of compounds in glaucoma.