Generics

SAN FRANCISCO — Though it plans to announce its fiscal year 2010 results next month, Watson Pharmaceuticals offered a peak at some preliminary numbers at the 29th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Wednesday.

Watson said that based on a review of results for last year, it expects to have earned revenues of more than $3.5 billion, a 25% increase over 2009.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The nation’s top independent pharmacy group is hailing a recent decision by a major corporation to maintain freedom of choice of where its employees fill their maintenance prescription medicines.

The National Community Pharmacists Association today applauded BB&T's decision to reemphasize and continue its employees' choice in filling their maintenance prescriptions, including at independent community pharmacies. The revised policy was communicated to BB&T employees last week.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — While a majority of physicians are comfortable with generic medications, there is a small segment who still have negative perceptions about the effectiveness and quality of generic drugs, and that may lead to doctors prescribing unnecessarily expensive medications, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic drug made by Watson Pharmaceuticals for cancer-related pain, Watson said Monday.

Watson announced the approval of fentanyl buccal tablets in the 0.1-mg, 0.2-mg, 0.6-mg and 0.8-mg strengths.

PRINCETON, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic contraceptive made by Sandoz, the company said.

Sandoz, the generics arm of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the FDA approval of Introvale (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol), a generic version of Duramed’s Seasonale.

Branded and generic versions of Seasonale had sales of around $91 million during the 12-month period ended in November, according to IMS Health.

SAN DIEGO — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted the approval application for a chemotherapy drug to treat lung cancer from AdventRx Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker said Thursday.

The FDA accepted AdventRx’s application for Exelbine (vinorelbine). The drug is a branded generic, being formulated with the same active ingredient as Navelbine, originally marketed by French drug maker Pierre Fabre and now available as a generic from seven companies.

IRVINE, Calif. — A U.S. biotech company plans to develop a biosimilar of a monoclonal antibody used to treat cancers and autoimmune disorders.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday a deal with Viropro to develop a biosimilar rituximab, marketed under the brand name Rituxan by Roche’s Genentech division. Global sales of rituximab in 2009 were $5.6 billion, according to Spectrum.

NEW YORK — A generic version of the world’s top-selling cholesterol treatment is expected to hit the market this year, but the branded version’s manufacturer is trying to put the brakes on the launch, according to media reports.

Gurgaon, India-based Ranbaxy Labs plans to launch its version of Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin) in the United States in November and will receive six months’ market exclusivity in which to compete directly against Pfizer’s version, under the terms of the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984.