ALLEGAN, Mich., July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Perrigo Company (Nasdaq: PRGO;TASE) today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market over-the-counter coated nicotine polacrilex gum USP, 2 mg and 4 mg cinnamon flavor.

The product will be marketed under store brand labels and is comparable to GlaxoSmithKline’s Nicorette® Cinnamon Surge coated gum, which is a stop smoking aid. “This approval of coated cinnamon nicotine gum extends our leading store brand position. The expanded range of smoking cessation products also includes coated mint-flavored gum, coated fruit wave, uncoated gum and lozenges,” said Joseph C. Papa, Perrigo’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Nicorette® Cinnamon Surge gum is selling at an annual rate estimated at over $40 million at all retail outlets. First shipments are expected to ship this fall.

Perrigo Company is a leading global healthcare supplier that develops, manufactures and distributes OTC and generic prescription (Rx) pharmaceuticals, infant formulas, nutritional products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and pharmaceutical and medical diagnostic products. The Company is the world’s largest store brand manufacturer of OTC pharmaceutical products and infant formulas. The Company’s primary markets and locations of manufacturing and logistics operations are the United States, Israel, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Australia. Visit Perrigo on the Internet (http://www.perrigo.com).

Note: Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. These statements relate to future events or the Company’s future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These and other important factors, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended June 26, 2010, as well as the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Perrigo Company