UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) July 7, 2010

 

Cephalon, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

Delaware

 

0-19119

 

23-2484489

(State or Other Jurisdiction

 

(Commission

 

(IRS Employer

of Incorporation)

 

File Number)

 

Identification No.)

 

41 Moores Road
Frazer, Pennsylvania

 

19355

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (610) 344-0200

 

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o            Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o            Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 8.01               Other Events.

 

On July 7, 2010 (the “Notice Date”), Cephalon, Inc. (“Cephalon”) received a Paragraph IV certification notice letter (the “Notice Letter”) regarding an Abbreviated New Drug Application (“ANDA”) submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) by Apotex Corp. and Apotex Inc. (collectively, “Apotex”) requesting approval to market and sell a generic version of NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV].

 

In the Notice Letter, Apotex claims that U.S. Patent Nos. RE37,516  (the “‘516 patent”), 7,297,346 (the “‘346 patent”) and 7,132,570 (the “‘570 patent”) issued to Cephalon are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by Apotex’s manufacture, use or sale of the products described in the ANDA.  Including the six-month pediatric extension, the ‘516 Patent, the ‘346 Patent, and the ‘570 Patent expire on April 6, 2015, May 29, 2024, and June 18, 2024, respectively. The Notice Letter does not challenge Orange Book-listed U.S. Patent No. 4,927,855 (the “‘855 Patent”), which provides additional protection until October 22, 2010, the expiration date of the ‘855 Patent.

 

Cephalon is currently reviewing the Notice Letter. By statute, if Cephalon initiates a patent infringement lawsuit against Apotex within 45 days of the Notice Date, then the FDA would be automatically precluded from approving Apotex’s ANDA until the earlier of entry of a district court decision finding the patents invalid or not infringed or 30 months from the Notice Date.

 

As previously disclosed, Cephalon has received Paragraph IV certification notice letters relating to ANDAs submitted to the FDA by each of Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Actavis Pharma Manufacturing Pvt Ltd. (by and through its agent Actavis Inc.), Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Watson Laboratories, Inc., Sandoz Inc. and Lupin Limited (together with Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) requesting approval to market and sell a generic version of NUVIGIL.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

CEPHALON, INC.

 

 

 

 

Date: July 12, 2010

By:

/s/ Gerald J. Pappert

 

 

Gerald J. Pappert

 

 

Executive Vice President, General Counsel

 

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