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[DewDiligence]

More Drama Over Generic Protonix

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/05/21/more-drama-over-generic-protonix

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May 21, 2008
by Jacob Goldstein

After Teva launched generic Protonix on Christmas Eve, fought with Wyeth about it, then made a surprise exit, we thought the drama was over.

But this week we get another act, thanks to the the injectable form of the drug Wyeth sells as Protonix I.V.

This act has an Et tu, Brute? vibe, with Wyeth suing a fellow Big Pharma — Novartis, whose generic unit Sandoz has applied to bring a generic version of Protonix I.V. to market. Nycomed, which licenses the drug to Wyeth, is also joining in the suit.

The earlier-than-expected arrival of generic Protonix has driven the price of drugs down for patients. But from Wyeth’s point of view, the story so far has been something of a tragedy: Sales of the drug were off 66% in the first quarter, to $159 million.

In cases over both versions of the drug, Wyeth is arguing that its Protonix patent is still valid. The company is seeking an injunction to keep Novartis’s generic off the market until 2010.
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