MORRISTOWN, N.J., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., a Nevada Corporation, filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to market its 50 mg, 100 mg, 150mg, 200 mg, and 250mg strength armodafinil tablets prior to the expiration of patents owned by Cephalon France. Watson’s 50 mg, 100 mg, 150mg, 200 mg and 250mg armodafinil tablet products are generic versions of Cephalon, Inc.'s Nuvigil®, which is indicated for the improvement of wakefulness in adults who experience excessive sleepiness (ES) associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), shift work sleep disorder, also known as shift work disorder (SWD), or narcolepsy.
Cephalon, Inc. and Cephalon France filed suit against Watson on January 5, 2010 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware seeking to prevent Watson from commercializing its product prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent No. 7,132,570. Cephalon’s suit was filed under the provisions of the Hatch-Waxman Act, resulting in a stay of final FDA approval of Watson’s ANDA for up to 30 months or until final resolution of the matter before the court, whichever occurs sooner. Based on available information, Watson believes it may be a “first applicant” to file an ANDA for the 100 mg and 200 mg strengths of a generic version of Nuvigil® and, should its ANDA be approved, may be entitled to 180 days of generic market exclusivity for those strengths.
For the twelve months ending September 30, 2009, Nuvigil® had total U.S. sales of approximately $42 million according to IMS Health data.
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 Watson’s estimated or anticipated future results or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Watson’s current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. For instance, any statements in this press release concerning prospects related to Watson’s product introductions and anticipated financial performance are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that Watson’s goals and expectations are not predictions of actual performance. Watson’s performance, at times, will differ from its goals and expectations. Actual results may differ materially from Watson’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Watson’s business. These factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainty associated with financial projections; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of litigation; the timing and success of product launches; the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of product development efforts and FDA or other regulatory agency approvals or actions; market acceptance of and continued demand for Watson’s products; 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’s and its third party manufacturers’ facilities, products and/or businesses; 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 quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2009. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Nuvigil® is a registered trademark of Cephalon, Inc.
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SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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