FDA grants Perrigo approval for generic Zyrtec

WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration granted final approval to Perrigo Company to manufacture and market a generic version of McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s Zyrtec syrup.

The syrup contains 1mg per milliliter of the active ingredient cetirizine hydrochloride and is designed to treat allergic rhinitis. The syrup is available by prescription only.

Pfizer, which originally marketed Zyrtec, reported that it had sales of $1 billion in 2007. Pfizer lost U.S. exclusivity for Zyrtec in January, according to its annual report.