Company Watch

Wockhardt enters into a strategic alliance to market Cetirizine tablets in the US

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology major Wockhardt received approval for an ANDA from the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for marketing the tablets containing five mg and 10 mg Cetirizine Hydrochloride, which is used for treating various forms of allergy. Cetirizine is the generic name for the brand Zyrtec, sold in the US by Pfizer. The total market for Cetirizine tablets in the US is $1.4 billion. Recently the product has been switched from 'prescription only' to OTC status and this is expected to significantly increase the potential for the product. "Wockhardt is amongst the first companies to get the US FDA approval for this product as soon as the patent expired. Wockhardt USA has entered into a strategic marketing alliance with Leiner Health Products to market this product in the private label OTC markets," said Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman, Wockhardt. With the recently acquired Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals, USA and its own subsidiary Wockhardt USA this product will be marketed in addition to the 56 products that Wockhardt already markets in the US generic pharmaceutical market. Wockhardt is thus emerging as a fully focused generic pharmaceutical supplier of medicines with innovative drug delivery system in sterile injectibles and generic liquid products.