Court Decides in Favor of Makhteshim Agan: Mai's New Fipronil-Based Insecticides do not Infringe BASF and Bayer Patents

TEL-AVIV, Israel, January 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The Makhteshim Agan Group (MAI) is pleased to announce that on January 9, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina ruled in favor of the Company regarding litigation initiated by BASF Agro BV and Bayer SAS in April 2010. The Court granted a motion for summary judgment, and found that Makhteshim Agan North America's (MANA) and Control Solution Inc.'s (CSI) fipronil insecticide product, would not infringe the patents remaining in litigation (U.S. Patent Nos. 6,414,010 and 6,825,743). 

In June 2011, MAI's affiliate CSI launched sales of fipronil based products under the brand names Taurus™ for the professional pest control market and Prefurred™ for companion animal use. MAI's Taurus™ is the first major generic version of fipronil, a widely-used broad spectrum insecticide, to become available in the US.

Commenting on the news, Mr. Shaul Friedland, Head of MAI's Americas region said, "The addition of fipronil to our product portfolio has strengthened our position as a comprehensive provider of simple effective crop protection and related solutions, and has further broadened our capabilities to supply more solutions to our customers. In creating Taurus™, MAI has taken advantage of novel, advanced technologies to design a new manufacturing process these capabilities will continue to support our portfolio expansion. We plan to launch new fipronil-based products to other markets."

Mark Boyd, President and CEO of CSI, added "We are delighted that the North Carolina Court has ruled in our favor, confirming that our products do not impinge on the patents of any of our competitors. We are proud to lead the industry by offering simple, effective solutions for all uses and pleased with the market reception so far."

Fipronil is utilized for termite prevention and treatment, flea and tick control, and as a broad-spectrum insecticide for crop markets in a variety of branded products throughout the world. The active ingredient is used in crop protection mainly for treatment of cotton, potatoes, rice and seed treatment in addition to broad uses for non-crop applications.

About Makhteshim Agan

Makhteshim Agan Industries, Ltd. (TASE: MAIN), http://www.ma-industries.com, is a world-leading manufacturer and distributor of branded off-patent crop protection products.  With sales of US$2.38 billion in 2010, MAI ranks seventh in global agrochemical companies, fourth in Europe, with a global share of over 5%.  The Company is characterized by its knowhow, high-level technological-chemical abilities, expertise in product registration, the observance of strict standards of environmental protection, stringent quality control and global marketing and distribution channels. The Company is well positioned to deliver effective and reliable solutions to farmers globally.  

Contact:
Rony Patishi-Chillim
Head of Global Corporate Communications
Email: [email protected] 
+972-73-232-1131

SOURCE Makhteshim Agan Industries Ltd