DRL ADVANTAGE OVER RANBAXY ON IMITREX

The delay in Ranbaxy Laboratories getting approval from FDA for launching migrain and headache drug of GSK's Imitrex could turn out to be a gain for Dr.Reddy's Laboratories, which has already launched the drug in the US. Dr.Reddy's could end up gaining a major chunk of the estimated 80 million dollars sales from the drug by Ranbaxy in the first year of launch in the US. Dr.Reddy's launched the generic version of Imitrex last november. Ranbaxy has not got approval from USFDA for launching generic version of Imitrex after it came under the scanner of health regulator, which last year banned 30 of its generic drugs produced by Dewas and Poanta Sahib units. Dr.Reddy's laboratories launched the same in November last year after settling patent litigation with GSK thus becoming the first company to launch an authorised generic version of the drug.