Generics

MORRISTOWN, N.J. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Watson Pharmaceuticals generic drug for treating high blood pressure, Watson said Friday.

 

The company announced the FDA approval of amlodipine besylate and benazepril capsules in the 5/20-mg, 10/20-mg, 2.5/10-mg and 5/10-mg strengths.

 

 

The drug is a generic version of Novartis’ Lotrel. Branded and generic versions of the drug had sales of around $1.05 billion during the 12-month period ended in June, according to IMS Health.

 

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS Caremark is presenting data at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2010 Educational Conference illustrating how innovative approaches to traditional plan designs can help clients reduce drug spend, improve generic dispensing rates and minimize member disruption.

The AMCP 2010 Educational Conference is being held in St. Louis from Oct. 13 to 15.

NORTH WALES, Pa. Drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals has launched a generic treatment for Parkinson’s disease, Teva said.

 

The company announced the launch of pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets in the 0.75-mg strength.

 

 

The drug is a generic version of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Mirapex. Teva already offered the drug in the 0.125-mg, 0.25-mg, 0.5-mg, 0.75-mg, 1-mg and 1.5-mg strengths.

 

BALTIMORE, Md. Lupin Pharmaceuticals received regulatory approval last week for its generic antihypertensive agents, the drug maker said.

Lupin was granted final approval for hydrochlorothiazide-losartan potassium and losartan potassium, the generic versions of Merck's Hyzaar and Cozaar.

Hyzaar and Cozaar had combined annual sales of approximately $1.6 billion in the United States, based on IMS sales data for the 12 months ended in June.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Actavis has received regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its high blood pressure drug.

 

The drug maker said its losartan potassium tablets, USP, will be available in 25-mg, 50-mg and 100-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Merck's Cozaar.

 

 

Losartan potassium tablets, USP, had sales of approximately $940 million for the 12 months ended June 30, according to IMS Health.

 

NEW YORK Ranbaxy has won the right to sell a generic version of an Alzheimer’s disease drug made by Eisai, according to published reports.

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the Indian drug maker had won 180 days’ exclusivity in which to market a generic version of Eisai’s Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) tablets, pending final Food and Drug Administration approval, beating out Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

PITTSBURGH The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic drug for HIV made by a subsidiary of Mylan under a program that supplies drugs to people living with HIV in developing countries, Mylan said Tuesday.

 

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals is seeking approval for a generic treatment for Parkinson’s disease, prompting a lawsuit from the drug’s manufacturer.

 

Watson said Tuesday that Watson Labs, a subsidiary of the company, had filed for approval for rasagiline mesylate tablets, a treatment for Parkinson’s used either alone or with the drug levodopa. The drug is a generic version of Teva Neuroscience’s Azilect.