Generics

BOSTON An investigative treatment for hepatitis C got strong results in patients who had failed previous treatments or who were new to treatment, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial program announced this week.

WESTON, Mass. Swiss drug maker Biogen Idec and U.S. drug maker Cardiokine have terminated an agreement to develop a treatment for abnormally low sodium levels in the blood, the two companies said Wednesday.

 

The agreement will give Cardiokine all rights to lixivaptan, a treatment for the condition, known as hyponatremia. The collaboration began in 2007, and the drug is in late-stage clinical studies.

 

 

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Sales for generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals grew 33%, to $882.4 million, in third quarter 2010, according to an earnings report released Thursday.

 

The sales figure for the current quarter compared with $662.1 million in third quarter 2009. Profits were $105.9 million, compared with $90 million in third quarter 2009.

 

 

“Watson delivered another quarter of strong financial results and continued progress against our strategic objectives,” Watson president and CEO Paul Bisaro said.

SILVER SPRING, Md. The main lobbies for the biotechnology and generic drug industries, and a leading manufacturer of generic drugs, testified Wednesday at a hearing sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration to collect public and industry input on the implementation of the regulatory approval pathway for follow-on biologics included in the healthcare-reform bill.

 

SILVER SPRING, Md. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic treatment made by Lupin Pharmaceuticals for allergies, according to FDA records.

 

The drug is a generic version of Schering-Plough’s Clarinex.

 

 

Clarinex has annual sales of around $229 million, according to IMS Health data reported by several media in India, where Lupin is based.

 

CHADDS FORD, Pa. Strong generic sales helped Endo edge analyst expectations for the third quarter, the company noted.

Net income reached $54.2 million, compared with $49.4 million during the period ended Sept. 30. Net sales jumped 23% to $444.1 million, versus $361 million during the same period a year ago. Analysts had estimated sales of $443.36 million for the quarter.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals will distribute an authorized generic version of a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Watson said Tuesday.

Watson entered an agreement with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals to distribute an authorized generic of Concerta (methylphenidate hydrochloride) extended-release tablets. An authorized generic is a branded drug sold under its generic name, usually by a third-party company.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. Drug maker Hospira has launched a generic treatment for bacterial infections, Hospira said Thursday.

 

The company, which specializes in generic injectables, announced the launch of piperacillin and tazobactam for injection. The drug is a generic version of Pfizer’s Zosyn.

 

 

Various versions of the drug had sales of $797 million during the 12-month period ended in August, according to IMS Health. Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, also launched its own version of the drug Thursday.