Watson Announces Favorable District Court Ruling in Generic Mucinex® Patent Suit

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida has ruled that Watson's generic versions of Mucinex®, Mucinex® D and Mucinex® DM (Guaifenesin, Dextromethorphan HBr/ Guaifenesin, and Pseudoephedrine/Guaifenesin) Extended-Release products, do not infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,372,252 (the "'252 Patent").

The Company said it is continuing to seek final FDA approval of the products.

In 2009, Reckitt Benckiser sued Watson Laboratories, Inc. for patent infringement related to the generic versions of Mucinex®.  The Mucinex® products had total U.S. sales of approximately $500 million for the twelve months ending December 31, 2010, according to IMS Health and IRI and are indicated to help loosen phlegm (mucus) and thin bronchial secretions to rid the bronchial passageways of bothersome mucus and make coughs more productive.  

About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading 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.  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 and outcome of the pending patent litigation; the difficulty of predicting the timing and outcome of any appeal of the pending patent litigation; the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of product development efforts, including FDA and other regulatory agency approvals and actions, if any; 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 annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,2009 and Watson's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2010. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Mucinex® is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser, Inc.

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SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.