End of delay leaves Teva chomping at the bit to launch fremanezumab

Shareholders in and executives at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA) will be breathing a sigh of relief with the news that the delay to the US launch of fremanezumab will likely not be as bad as it could have been.

With Teva facing competition to its money-spinning multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), the investigational migraine treatment fremanezumab is seen as a key part of the company’s efforts to replace that lost revenue.

There are estimates that it could earn Teva up to $1.7 billion in annual sales by 2025, but its development hit a snag in January with the failure of the company’s partner Celltrion Healthcare (Kosdaq: 068270) to get manufacturing approval from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).