Mylan gets OK for generic Crestor in Canada; Rottapharm deal looks dead

The Canadian subsidiary of US generic drugmaker Mylan (Nasdaq: MYL) has received approval from Health Canada for Mylan-Rosuvastatin Calcium Tablets, 5mg, 10mg, 20mg and 40mg, a generic version of cholesterol lowerer Crestor from Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca.

According to IMS Health data quoted by Mylan, rosuvastatin in the doses mention above had Canadian sales of around $742 million for the 12 months ending December 31, 2011.

"We are very pleased to introduce Mylan-Rosuvastatin to the Canadian market," said Dick Guest, president of Mylan Canada, noting that, "according to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, about 40% of Canadians have high blood cholesterol. Not only does this introduction provide Canadians with access to our quality medicine, it does so at a substantially lower cost. The introduction of generic medicines like Mylan-Rosuvastatin helps to contribute to a sustainable health care system."