Generics

HYDERABAD, India A generic drug maker has entered an agreement to purchase another drug maker's U.S. penicillin site.

Dr. Reddy's and GlaxoSmithKline have inked a deal in which GSK will transfer ownership of its penicillin manufacturing site in Bristol, Tenn., and rights for the Augmentin and Amoxil brands in the United States to Dr. Reddy’s, an India-based drug maker.

This transaction is expected to close within the first half of calendar year 2011. Further financial terms and conditions of the agreement were not disclosed.

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. Par Pharmaceutical has begun shipments of a generic treatment for asthma, the drug maker said Monday.

Par announced that it started shipping zafirlukast tablets in the 10-mg and 20-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of AstraZeneca’s Accolate.

Accolate has sales of $50 million in the United States per year, according to IMS Health.

SILVER SPRING, Md. A drug maker will pull a common prescription painkiller from the market following the release of clinical data that it could cause heart problems.

 

HYDERABAD, India Indian generic drug maker Dr. Reddy’s Labs has launched a version of an asthma drug for the U.S. market, the company said.

Dr. Reddy’s announced the launch of zafirlukast tablets in the 10-mg and 20-mg strengths. The drug is a version of AstraZeneca’s Accolate, which had sales of $50 million during the 12-month period ended in August, according to IMS Health.

NEW YORK — Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. government are suing two generic drug makers to stop them from launching a generic drug for HIV, according to published reports.

 

Bloomberg reported Thursday that Tibotec, a subsidiary of J&J, and the government were separately suing Mylan and Lupin over a generic version of the drug Prezista (darunavir ethanolate), alleging patent infringement.

 

 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a rule shortening the traditional 30-day drug cycle for long-term care centers to seven days when brand-name drugs are dispensed, prompting a supportive response from an organization representing independent pharmacies.

 

LAKE FOREST, Ill. Generic injectable drug maker Hospira has launched a version of a chemotherapy drug, the company said Monday.

 

Hospira announced the launch of gemcitabine hydrochloride in 2-g vials, a generic version of Eli Lilly’s Gemzar.

 

 

Gemzar had sales of nearly $750 million in 2009, according to Hospira.

 

HAYWARD, Calif. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic treatment made by Impax for seasonal allergies, Impax said Tuesday.

 

The drug maker announced the approval of its generic version of Sanofi-Aventis’ Allegra-D (fexofenadine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride) tablets in the 60-mg/120-mg strength.