Watson debuts generic Seasonique in USA

28 July 2011

US generics major Watson Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: WPI) announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories has launched Amethia (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) the generic equivalent of Israel-based Teva Pharmacuetical Industries (Nasdaq: TEVA) US subsidiary Duramed Pharmaceuticals' Seasonique.

Watson began shipping the product on Thursday, following a denial by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of a request for a temporary injunction (The Pharma Letter June 20). Duramed's law suit alleging that Watson's product infringes Duramed's US Patent No. 7,320,969 remains pending.

For the most recent 12 months ending April 30, 2011, Seasonique had US sales of around $110 million, according to IMS Health data. Watson's Amethia tablets are indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use an oral contraceptive.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK