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ASTRAZENECA GRANTED COORDINATION OF PRILOSEC US PATENT CASES


AstraZeneca today announced that the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict
Litigation has ordered that all pending patent infringement cases in the
United States relating to omeprazole should be coordinated for pretrial
proceedings in the District Court of Southern District of New York.


AstraZeneca filed its motion before the Panel in May 1999, requesting
coordination of the pretrial proceedings of the patent actions in New York.

There are presently patent infringement cases pending against Andrx
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Genpharm, Inc., Kremers Urban Development Co/Schwarz
Pharma, Inc., and Cheminor Drugs, Ltd./Reddy-Cheminor, Inc. The lawsuits were
filed in Florida, New York, Wisconsin and New Jersey respectively. The
lawsuits are the results of Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) filed by
the four companies with the FDA...