Wockhardt launches prostate drug in US market

Pharma major Wockhardt on Wednesday said it has launched Tamsulosin capsules, indicated for problem of prostate enlargement, in the US market on the day one of the expiry of patent covering the drug.

Wockhardt had earlier received a tentative approval for Tamsulosin by the US Food and Drug Administration and later it got the final approval of FDA for launching the drug in the US, the company said in a statement.

Tamsulosin is the generic version of 'Flomax' from US-based Boehringer Ingelheim's portfolio and the drug has a total annual market of more than 1.6 billion dollars.

Earlier in the day, Zydus Cadila also announced that it has got US FDA's nod for the generic version of Flomax. The patent on this product expired on April 27, 2010, and Wockhardt USA launched the product immediately, upon approval, the company said.

"Launching new products on the day of patent expiration is a critical factor for success in the US generic market and Wockhardt has been consistently striving to achieve this," Wockhardt Chairman Habil Khorakiwala said.

He said that the company has already entered into supply contracts with several customers in the US for this product.

Prostate enlargement is a common problem which affects many men above a certain age and with the growing population of the elderly in the US, the demand will continue to increase, Wockhardt said.

The company said it is producing Tamsulosin capsules at the US FDA certified formulation plant at Chikalthana, Aurangabad and it will use API, which is also being manufactured by Wockhardt.