Sandoz in-licenses authorized generic of Proventil HFA

Sandoz Inc has in-licensing of commercial distribution rights to the brand and authorized generic of respiratory inhalation medicine Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Proventil HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol from Kindeva Drug Delivery, a global contract development and manufacturing organization supplying the product.

The albuterol sulfate authorized generic, a treatment for respiratory diseases, is immediately available to patients in the USA, said Sandoz, the generics and biosimilars arm of Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX).

There has been a surge in demand for albuterol medicines over the past year. Hospitals increasingly switched to using metered-dose albuterol inhalers rather than nebulizers to treat the growing number of COVID-19 patients. Pharmacies also saw increased demand for albuterol inhalers after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) recommended that Americans stock up on necessary medications.