AstraZeneca in copycat settlement to avoid legal costs

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Entocort gave Astra sales worth $1 million (£693,000) in the US last year.

A spokesman said despite Entocort's patent not running out until January 2015, Astra had decided to settle the case with Israel's Teva to avoid ongoing expensive litigation.

US pharma firm Merck, which has had a long-standing relationship collecting royalties from some of Astra's drugs, was also involved in the settlement agreement.

AstraZeneca is facing a looming "patent cliff", the loss of exclusivity on blockbuster medicines like cholesterol-buster Crestor that generate half of its total sales.