(Yicai Global) April 3 -- Qianjiang Yongan Pharmaceuticals has settled a dispute over the intellectual property used in its taurine production out of court, pausing the United States' Section 337 investigation into the world's largest maker of the amino acid.

American complainants Vitaworks and Vitaworks IP have asked the US International Trade Commission terminate the probe after coming to an agreement with Yongan, the Hubei province-based drugmaker said in a statement yesterday. An ITC judge has suspended the investigation, the firm added, without disclosing settlement terms.

The two plaintiffs requested the ITC probe earlier this year under Section 337 of the US Tariff Act of1930, which bans unfair competition and imports, including violations of American trademark and patent rights. The lawsuit, which concerned Yongan's production methods and included some of its New Jersey customers, has been going on for much longer. It also names two other Chinese suppliers and their buyers as defenants.

Taurine is a conditionally essentially compound for humans. Primary sources include meat and fish, though it is often synthetically created due to the limited amount extracted from natural foods. People use taurine supplements to try and enhance sports performance and lower the risk of certain diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

US taurine exports make up about 22 percent of Yongan's sales, according to a statement from February. It had been keen to put an end to the investigation so as not to hamper its overall performance.

Editor: James Boynton