Morepen files global patent for $500 M drug

Thursday, 06 March 2003, 20:30 IST
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Indian drug maker Morepen Laboratories Ltd. Wednesday said it has filed an international patent for the manufacturing process of Desloratadine, a $500 million drug for treatment of allergy, cough and cold.

NEW DELHI: The company is also working on the process to obtain U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the drug, said a Morepen Laboratories statement issued here. Morepen has launched the generic version of Desloratadine in the Indian market and is marketing the drug under the brand name of Desnova. Currently, the global patent for Desloratadine is held by Schering Plough, which is marketing the drug in the U.S. market under the brand name Clarinex. The patent for the drug in the U.S. is slated to expire in April 2004. The global market for Desloratadine is estimated to be around $500 million and growing rapidly, said the company statement. "Entry into the Desloratadine market gives us access to the highly regulated U.S. prescription segment," said Sushil Suri, chairman and managing director of Morepen Laboratories.
Source: IANS