Content about Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson subsidiary Watson Labs is seeking approval for a drug designed to treat symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia in men with an enlarged prostate.

The company filed an abbreviated new drug application to market dutasteride capsules in the 0.5-mg strength. The drug is a generic version of Avodart, which is made by GlaxoSmithKline.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals is hoping to become the first company to market a generic treatment for cholesterol.

The drug maker said Wednesday that it had filed with the Food and Drug Administration for approval of a generic version of Welchol (colesevelam hydrochloride) tablets in the 625-mg strength, made by Daiichi Sankyo, thus challenging the patents covering the drug.

PHILADELPHIA — Watson Labs is hoping to be the first to market a generic version of a popular drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

British drug maker Shire announced Thursday that it had received notification that Watson filed for regulatory approval of a version of Adderall XR (dextroamphetamine and amphetamine) capsules with the Food and Drug Administration. Watson’s application contained a Paragraph IV certification, a legal assertion that the patent covering Adderall XR is invalid, unenforceable or won’t be infringed by Watson’s product.

PITTSBURGH — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic hypertension treatment made by Mylan.

Mylan announced the approval Friday of nisoldipine extended-release tablets in the 8.5-mg, 17-mg, 25.5-mg and 34-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Shionogi Pharma’s Sular, which had sales of about $103 million during the 12-month period ended in September 2010, according to IMS Health.

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Par Pharmaceutical has started shipping a generic version of a hypertension drug, the company said Monday.

Par announced the shipment of amlodipine besylate and benazepril hydrochloride capsules in the 5-mg/320-mg and 10-mg/320-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Novartis’ Lotrel, which has annual sales of $361 million in the two strengths, according to IMS Health.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals said it has filed a regulatory approval application for a generic painkiller, challenging the patent that covers the branded version.

Watson announced Tuesday that it had filed an application with the Food and Drug Administration seeking approval for hydromorphone hydrochloride extended-release tablets in the 8-mg, 12-mg and 16-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Mallinckrodt’s Exalgo.

LAVAL, Quebec — Generic drug maker Actavis has filed for approval of a generic version of an antidepressant made by Canada’s Labopharm, Labopharm said.

The drug maker said it received a notification stating that Actavis had applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of a generic version of Oletpro (trazodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets in the 150-mg and 300-mg strengths.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals is seeking approval for a generic treatment for Parkinson’s disease, prompting a lawsuit from the drug’s manufacturer.

Watson said Tuesday that Watson Labs, a subsidiary of the company, had filed for approval for rasagiline mesylate tablets, a treatment for Parkinson’s used either alone or with the drug levodopa. The drug is a generic version of Teva Neuroscience’s Azilect.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has applied for Food and Drug Administration approval for a version of a drug used to treat eye diseases, Watson said Tuesday.