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AstraZeneca could lose Betaloc patent

Date published: 10/01/2006

AstraZeneca is in danger of losing one of its most prized patents, Reuters has reported. Deutsche Bank analysts said that the company was at serious risk of losing a challenge to its US patent on Toprol XL, known as Betaloc in the UK, opening the flood gates for generic manufacturers to make copycat versions.

As a result, AstraZeneca could take a hit in profits and its share price. Deutsche Bank predicted that losing the Toprol XL patent could mean AstraZeneca's earnings-per-share falling by between eight and nine per cent.

"Given that a negative decision would be unexpected and likely erode the perception of 2006 EPS [ensemble prediction system] upgrades at the full-year 2005 results on February 2nd, we suspect the shares could fall by as much as three to five per cent, presenting a potential buying opportunity," the bank said.

However, the bank's expectations for 2008 remain the same, as AstraZeneca had hoped to hold on to the Toprol XL patent until September 2007.

KV Pharmaceuticals and Novartis' Eon Labs are both challenging the Toprol XL patents.

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