Handa Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company listed on the Emerging Stock Board, announced on the 29th that its subsidiary, Handa Pharmaceuticals, LLC, has reached a settlement agreement with all final paying plaintiffs in the U.S. antitrust case. Handa is required to pay a settlement amount of $465,000 (approximately NT$15 million). Handa's General Manager, Chun-Liang Chen, stated that compared to the previous lawsuit in which both Handa and the original manufacturer were jointly sued for $200 million, this settlement represents a satisfactory outcome for Handa.

According to the announcement, Handa Pharmaceuticals has reached a settlement agreement with all the plaintiffs involved in the antitrust case. After the plaintiffs completed the dismissal process with the U.S. court, both parties fulfilled the terms of the agreement to resolve all disputes. As per the settlement agreement, Handa Pharmaceuticals will pay a total settlement amount of $465,000 to fulfill the terms and conditions outlined in the settlement, and the plaintiffs, in return, will withdraw all pending lawsuits, administrative procedures, claims, and disputes related to this antitrust case.

Chun-Liang Chen explained that the case began several years ago when Handa collaborated with AstraZeneca (AZ) to develop a central nervous system product, which was then subject to an antitrust lawsuit filed by other generic drug manufacturers in the U.S. The plaintiffs initially sought $200 million in compensation from AZ and Handa, among other companies. However, as of recently, the lawsuit has reached its final stages. Handa has already reached agreements with several U.S. entities and is expected to attend another hearing in May this year, with confidence that the company will ultimately achieve a satisfactory resolution.

Resource: 漢達與美國反壟斷案 全部最終付費原告達成和解協議