Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd /
Actelion Statement on Asahi Kasei Litigation
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ALLSCHWIL/BASEL, SWITZERLAND - 1 May 2011 - Actelion (SIX: ATLN) announced that
on Friday evening (California local time) a jury in the case Asahi Kasei Pharma
Corp. v. Actelion Ltd. (case number CIV 478533) in the Superior Court of the
State of California, County of San Mateo, has awarded Asahi up to USD 547
million. On Tuesday, the jury will continue deliberations regarding potential
punitive awards.
The company is disappointed, but respectful of the jury`s verdict in this
ongoing litigation. Once the jury has concluded their deliberations, Actelion
will decide on potential further steps, including (but not limited to) an
appeal.
###
Notes to the Editor
About the complaint
On November 19, 2008, plaintiff Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation ("Asahi") filed a
complaint at the State Court in California, US, against Actelion Ltd and its
subsidiaries Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd,
Actelion US Holding Company, CoTherix, Inc. ("CoTherix") and three individual
officers. The action arises from a dispute involving the license and development
agreement between Asahi and CoTherix for the drug compound fasudil that has been
terminated upon the acquisition of CoTherix in 2007.
Actelion Ltd.
Actelion Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company with its corporate headquarters in
Allschwil/Basel, Switzerland. Actelion's first drug Tracleer®, an orally
available dual endothelin receptor antagonist, has been approved as a therapy
for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Actelion markets Tracleer® through its own
subsidiaries in key markets worldwide, including the United States (based in
South San Francisco), the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and
Switzerland. Actelion, founded in late 1997, is a leading player in innovative
science related to the endothelium - the single layer of cells separating every
blood vessel from the blood stream. Actelion's over 2,400 employees focus on the
discovery, development and marketing of innovative drugs for significant unmet
medical needs. Actelion shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker
symbol: ATLN) as part of the Swiss blue-chip index SMI (Swiss Market Index
SMI®).
For further information please contact:
Roland Haefeli
Vice President, Head of Investor Relations & Public Affairs
Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Gewerbestrasse 16, CH-4123 Allschwil
+41 61 565 62 62
+1 650 624 69 36
www.actelion.com
The above information contains certain "forward-looking statements", relating to
the company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology such as "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "are expected
to", "will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seeks", "pending" or
"anticipates" or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy, plans or
intentions. Such statements include descriptions of the company's investment and
research and development programs and anticipated expenditures in connection
therewith, descriptions of new products expected to be introduced by the company
and anticipated customer demand for such products and products in the company's
existing portfolio. Such statements reflect the current views of the company
with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties
and assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results,
performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-
looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results
may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed,
estimated or expected.
--- End of Message ---
Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Gewerbestrasse 16 Allschwil Switzerland
ISIN: CH0010532478;
Press Release PDF:
http://hugin.info/131801/R/1511258/446558.pdf
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Source: Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1511258]
