FMC Corporation and Albaugh LLC settle patent infringement dispute in the United States

FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), a leading global agricultural sciences company, announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Albaugh LLC resolving patent infringement litigation related to the manufacture of chlorantraniliprole, FMC’s leading insecticide ingredient branded as Rynaxypyr^® active.

The settlement was reached following FMC's filing of a patent infringement lawsuit against Albaugh in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Central Division. In the lawsuit, FMC alleged that Albaugh imported, made, or used products containing chlorantraniliprole made in violation of FMC’s U.S. patent rights protecting FMC’s processes for manufacturing chlorantraniliprole. As part of the agreement, Albaugh has agreed to pay FMC for a license to FMC’s patented technology used in the manufacture of chlorantraniliprole for agricultural uses in the United States.

The settlement echoes the strategic cooperation that FMC reached with UPL Ltd. in March 2021. At that time, FMC and UPL signed a ten-year agreement, authorizing UPL to distribute products containing Rynaxypyr^® active ingredients in specific markets and to produce Rynaxypyr^® active ingredients for FMC in India. The addition of Albaugh may further expand UPL's production capacity. FMC has also further integrated global resources through patent disputes.

At FMC, we are committed to providing growers around the world with innovative solutions, like Rynaxypyr^®, that increase the productivity and resilience of their land,″ said Ronaldo Pereira, FMC president. ″Intellectual property rights are an essential tool for continued innovation in the crop protection market, serving the interest of growers, customers, employees, suppliers and partners. This settlement agreement recognizes the value of FMC’s process patents, and it allows us to protect our investment in the discovery and development of chlorantraniliprole while ensuring its continued availability to growers.″

FMC maintains an extensive patent estate for its chlorantraniliprole technology in the U.S., China, India, and other key agricultural markets worldwide. The company markets several products containing chlorantraniliprole, including Altacor^®, Coragen^®, Elevest^®, Prevathon^® and Vantacor^® insect control.

The specific terms of the settlement agreement were not disclosed.