Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s Generic Yasmin(R) Receives FDA Approval

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Zarah (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol tablets) 3 mg/0.03 mg, the generic equivalent to Bayer’s Yasmin®. Watson has begun shipping the product. Bayer’s lawsuit against Watson alleging that Watson‘s product infringes Bayer’s U.S. Patent No. 5,569,652 remains pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Yasmin® and its generic equivalents had total U.S. sales of approximately $97 million for the twelve months ending June 30, 2010, according to IMS Health. Watson’s Zarah tablets are indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use an oral contraceptive.

About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the development 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 and risks that an adverse outcome in such litigation could render Watson liable for substantial damages; 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 June 30, 2010. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Yasmin® is a registered trademark of Bayer Schering Pharma Aktiengesellschaft.

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SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.