Par launches generic Rhythmol SR

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Generic drug maker Par Pharmaceutical has begun shipping its version of a treatment for heart rhythm problems, the company said Monday.

Par announced the shipment of propafenone SR capsules, a treatment for atrial fibrillation in patients without structural heart disease.

The drug is a generic version of GlaxoSmithKline’s Rhythmol SR, which has annual sales of around $121 million, according to IMS Health.

As the first company to file for approval of a generic version of the drug, Par has 180 days in which to market its version in direct competition with GlaxoSmithKline’s under the terms of the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984.