Impax Labs Settles Portion of Solodyn Pay-for-Delay Cases for $35 Million

Generic manufacturer Impax Laboratories agreed to pay $35 million to settle pay-for-delay lawsuits brought by a class of direct purchasers of the acne medication Solodyn (minocycline), sold by Medicis Pharmaceutical, a unit of Valeant.

The antitrust suits claimed Impax received payments from Medicis in 2008 in exchange for dropping a patent lawsuit and delaying the market entry of its generic version for three years.

Medicis’ Solodyn, a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic, was approved by the FDA to treat acne in 2006, with sales growing annually before reaching over $760 million by 2011. Its active ingredient, minocycline, has been in use since the 1970’s.