Generics/News
Biovail says Teva’s generic bupropion trial is too small
As reported by Reuters, Biovail, Canada's biggest publicly traded pharmaceutical company said on 22 January 2010 that it believes a proposed clinical trial by Teva of a generic version of Biovail's sustained-release Wellbutrin XL (bupropion) antidepressant drug is too small and brief to be effective.
India urges WHO to ‘clearly promote’ generics
As reported by Scrip on 25 January 2010, India has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to ‘clearly promote’ generic drugs as a strategy for rational drug use.
Teva’s hedge with generic enoxaparin versus branded glatimir
In the IN VIVO Blog of 14 January 2010, FDC-Windhover’s Biopharma Group Editor-in-Chief Michael McCaughan wrote that – apart from developing a long-term biosimilars strategy (as of 2015) – no one is in quite the same position in complex generics as Teva.
AstraZeneca, Teva settle Nexium, Prilosec patent disputes
AstraZeneca has deferred the threat to its blockbuster drug Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) in a settlement with Israel's Teva that is likely to delay generic competition for a further four years.
EU regulators request details of drug patent settlements
The European Commission reported on 12 January 2010 that it requested information from several drugmakers in relation to patent settlement agreements made between July 2008 and December 2009.
Sanofi-aventis still owns clopidogrel users patent for acute coronary syndrome, in contrast to most generic clopidogrels
Since the European product patent on sanofi-aventis’ clopidogrel antiplatelet agent Plavixâ – one of the world's best-selling drugs with global sales of US$8.6 billion in 2008, co-marketed with Bristol-Myers Squibb – has expired, several generic clopidogrel products enter the European market. However, sanofi-aventis still owns the usage patent on one of the clopidogrel indications, namely on acute coronary syndrome.
Will Teva join Big Pharma by 2015?
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ annual revenue will probably more than double to US$31 billion by 2015, as rising healthcare costs push patients and policy makers toward (bio)generic drugs, Chief Executive Officer, Shlomo Yanai, told analysts on 7 January 2010 in an Internet presentation from New York. According to FiercePharma, that would make it big enough to become one of the Top 10 drugmakers worldwide on the 2008 revenue ranking at least.
Steady gains in perceptions of generics in Japan
As reported by Scrip News on 17 December 2009, the latest survey of patient and pharmacist perceptions of generic drugs in Japan shows a high percentage of patients would be willing to receive such products, while pharmacists view them as important in keeping down healthcare costs.
EGA warning sounded over generic drug tenders
European Generic medicines Association (EGA)’s newly elected President, Mr Didier Barret, called for a “sustainable pricing system” for generic medicines to address unfair competition caused by large-scale government tenders for the products. Mr Barret, who also serves as head of Mylan's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, made the remark as the organisation works on recommendations for expediting the approval of copycat drugs after patent expiration.
India and EU to resolve generic drug dispute
India will resolve a dispute with the EU over generic drugs in an amicable way, Trade Minister Anand Sharma said on 6 November 2009.
