Re: "that said... what other interests are there of importance outside of protection and promotion of the company... i.e. business interests? "
If perhaps TEVA does both get approved and infringes I would suspect the suit now might increase the odds of 3x damages.
Real damages to MNTA start as soon as the ANDA is approved (because their share from Sandoz drops) and will be significantly more than any possible TEVA earnings (even before a 3x).