51.   German pharmaceuticals company Schering said on Thursday it has reached an agreement with U.S. Biogen over an ongoing patent dispute.

52.   Its leading ulcer drug Prilosec could face generic competition as early as this spring if AstraZeneca loses a patent dispute court case in New York.

53.   Spokesmen for both companies said they did not immediately know whether any patent disputes remained between the companies.

54.   The company has been embroiled in a patent dispute with U.S. company Barr Laboratories Inc., which plans to commercialize a generic drug similar to Allegra.