Pfizer Inc. announced today that it will receive about $1.38 billion in a settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. over a nearly decade-old patent case.

The total settlement, to be shared with Japanese drug giant Takeda, was $2.15 billion.

"We are pleased with today's settlement, which recognizes the validity and value of the innovation that led to Protonix," said Amy W. Schulman, executive vice president and general counsel of Pfizer, in a statement. "Protecting intellectual property is vital as we develop new medicines that save and enhance patients' lives."

Pfizer, which has a major research-and-development campus in Groton that employs more than 3,000 people, had accused Israel-based Teva and India-based Sun of infringing on a patent for the active ingredient in Protonix, a blockbuster remedy for acid reflux.

Wyeth, now a division of Pfizer, had the exclusive license to market Protonix in the United States. Nycomed, now part of Takeda, held the patent for Protonix.

Teva and Sun had launched a generic version of the drug's active ingredient, pantoprazole, well before it went off patent in January 2011. Federal courts would not prohibit the companies from marketing generic Protonix, but a jury decided the patent was valid and a district court refused to overturn the decision.

According to the agreement announced by Pfizer, Teva would be responsible for $1.6 billion of the settlement payments, while Sun will pay the remaining $550 million. Sun's payments would be completed this year, while Teva will pay $800 million this year and the same amount by October 2014, according to the agreement.

Pfizer said it reached agreement with the two companies shortly after a trial began in a New Jersey federal court to assign damages.

l.howard@theday.com