FDA Approves First Generic Copies of Merck & Co., Inc.'s Singulair

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday said it granted 10 drugmakers marketing approvals for the first generic forms of Singulair, the $5 billion-a-year asthma and allergy drug that is Merck & Co Inc's best-selling product. The drugmakers, whose cheaper versions of Singulair are expected to quickly steal two thirds of the branded product's sales, include Mylan Inc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and the Sandoz division of Novartis AG. Singulair, unlike most allergy drugs which block the protein histamine, instead blocks proteins called leukotrienes that cause inflammation.

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