MORRISTOWN, N.J., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market Colesevelam HCI powder for oral suspension, 1.875 gm/packet and 3.75 gm/packet. Watson’s Colesevelam HCI powder for oral suspension is a generic version of Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.'s Welchol ® oral suspension, which is indicated to reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with primary hyperlipidemia as monotherapy or in combination with an hydroxymethyl-glutarylcoenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor (statin); to reduce LDL-C levels in boys and postmenarchal girls, 10 to 17 years of age with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia as monotherapy or in combination with a statin after failing an adequate trial of diet therapy; and to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Daiichi Sankyo and Genzyme Corporation filed suit against Watson on January 21, 2011 in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware seeking to prevent Watson from commercializing its product prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent No. 5,693,675. Daiichi Sankyo’s lawsuit was filed under the provisions of the Hatch-Waxman Act, resulting in a stay of final FDA approval of Watson’s ANDA until June 19, 2013, or until final resolution of the matter before the court, whichever occurs sooner, subject to any other exclusivities.
About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of generic pharmaceuticals and specialized branded pharmaceutical products focused on Urology and Women’s Health. Watson has operations in many of the world’s established and growing international markets.
For press release and other company information, visit Watson Pharmaceuticals’ Web site at http://www.watson.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Statements contained in this press release that refer to non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Watson’s current perspective of existing information as of the date of this release. It is important to note that Watson’s goals and expectations are not predictions of actual performance. Actual results may differ materially from Watson’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors, risks and uncertainties affecting Watson’s business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing and outcome of the pending patent litigation; the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of product development efforts, including FDA and other regulatory agency approvals and actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the timing and success of product launches; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; the availability and pricing of third party sourced products and materials; successful compliance with FDA and other governmental regulations applicable to Watson and its third party manufacturers’ facilities, products and/or businesses; changes in the laws and regulations, including Medicare and Medicaid, affecting among other things, pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products; and such other risks and uncertainties detailed in Watson’s periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Watson’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,2009 and Watson’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2010. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Welchol® is a trademark of Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
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SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
