TORONTO — Teva Canada Limited, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, on Tuesday announced that Health Canada has approved its application for PrTeva-Celecoxib, the generic equivalent of PrCelebrex. The drug is indicated for symptomatic relief associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, according to the company.
PrCelebrex had annual sales of $151 million in Canada as of September 2014, accoridng to IMS Brogan sales data. PrTeva-Celecoxib is available immediately in pharmacies across Canada.
"Arthritis is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions and the economic impact on the Canadian economy in healthcare costs and lost productivity is estimated by The Arthritis Society to be $33 billion each year," said Doug Sommerville, SVP and general manager, Teva Canada Limited. "Teva Canada is very pleased to be able to offer our more affordable, bioequivalent version of Celebrex to patients today. New generic launches in Canada over the last three years have saved patients and payers more than $2.3 billion versus the cost of the equivalent brand name drug product — and with today's launch, we are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to playing a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system."