• The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey found that the formulation patent protecting Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate) extended release tablets by AstraZeneca plc, of London, was valid, and that Anchen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corp., Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Torrent Pharma Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Mylan Inc. infringed it. A different decision, made on March 22, in the UK, found the formulation patent for Seroquel XR invalid, and the District Court in The Hague, Netherlands, found that patent valid on March 7.

• HTG Molecular Diagnostics, of Tucson, Ariz. established a collaborative program with Bridgewater, N.J.- based Sanofi US, part of Sanofi SA, to identify biomarkers that may lead to the development of a molecular companion diagnostic test to help identify patients most likely to respond to an unidentified Sanofi investigational agent.

• Shire plc, of Dublin, said it will carry out two additional trials of midodrine HCl to verify the benefits in orthostatic hypotension. The drug will remain available to patients while the trials are in process. The FDA recently issued a complete response letter for competing product droxidopa, leaving midodrine as the only FDA-approved treatment for the disorder.

• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Jerusalem, launched a generic version of Provigil (modafinil). Branded Provigil is marketed by Cephalon Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Teva. The drug will be manufactured under Provigil's new drug application at the same facility where it is currently produced.