Actavis sales up 24% in first quarter 2013

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Actavis' had $1.9 billion in sales in first quarter 2013, the drug maker said.

The latest figure represented a 24% increase from first quarter 2012's $1.52 billion. "The new Actavis is off to a strong start in 2013, and as a result, we are increasing our 2013 forecast based on the strong performance and execution against our objectives to date," president and CEO Paul Bisaro said.

The company touted several new products that launched during the quarter, including generic versions of Reckitt Benckiser's opioid dependence drug Suboxone (buprenorphine) and an authorized generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's herpes drug Zovirax (aciclovir). Authorized generics are branded drugs marketed under their generic names at a discounted price, usually under a deal between the brand-name drug manufacturer and a third-party company.

The company has also settled patent-infringement lawsuits for generic versions of AstraZeneca's cholesterol drug Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium); Mallinckrodt's painkiller Exalgo (hydromorphone); Mediciss acne drug Ziana (clindamycin phosphate; tretinoin); Medicis' warts, actinic keratosis and basal cell carcinoma drug Zyclara (imiquimod); Shire's hypertension and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Intuniv (guanfacine); and an abuse-deterrent version of Purdue Pharma's painkiller OxyContin (oxycodone).

Part of the company's sales growth came from its branded drugs, such as the contraceptive Generess Fe (norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol tablets, ferrous fumarate chewable tablets), the enlarged prostate drug Rapaflo (silodosin), the menopause drug Crinone (progesterone) and the testosterone drug Androderm (testosterone).