Content about Forest Labs

The generic drug tidal wave became a tsunami in 2012, with some of the world's top-selling pharmaceuticals swamped by generic competition, and health plan payers scrambling to reap billions of dollars in financial savings.

NEW YORK — Forest Labs has bought rights to a drug used for high blood pressure that it had marketed with a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, thus eliminating the need to pay future royalties.

Forest announced Monday that it had bought all U.S. and Canadian intellectual property related to Bystolic (nebivolol) for $357 million from Janssen Pharmaceutica NV on Friday.

SUPPLIER NEWS — A drug under development by Forest Labs and Pierre Fabre has been shown to reduce symptoms of major depressive disorder, the companies said. New York-based Forest and Paris-based Pierre Fabre announced results of a phase-3 trial of levomilnacipran, saying the drug showed reductions in symptoms as early as one week after treatment was started. The companies expect results of another phase-3 trial of the drug this spring.


BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Amneal Pharmaceuticals has launched a generic version of an antidepressant made by Forest Labs.

The drug maker announced the launch of escitalopram oxalate oral solution in 5-mg/5-mL strength in a peppermint flavor, the company said. The product is a therapeutically equivalent alternative to Lexapro and also marks the first generic version of the drug in liquid form on the market.

Amneal said it has begun shipping the product and is available to wholesalers, distributors, as well as directly to the trade.

NEW YORK — Forest Labs has filed suit against Glenmark Generics and several other companies, alleging that they infringed on its patent for a drug to treat hypertension by seeking regulatory approval for generic versions.

Forest and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutica NV have sued Glenmark, Hetero USA, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Watson Labs in response to their filing regulatory approval applications with the Food and Drug Administration for generic versions of Bystolic (nebivolol).

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug for treating depression and anxiety, the company said Wednesday.

Mylan announced the launch of escitalopram tablets in the 5-mg, 10-mg and 20-mg strengths, the first generic version of Forest Labs' Lexapro. The drug is used for treating major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

NEW YORK — A drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease made by Forest Labs will be available by the middle of this month, Forest said Thursday.

Daliresp (roflumilast) recently received approval from the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment to reduce the risk of exacerbations in patients with severe COPD associated with chronic bronchitis and a history of exacerbations.

Forest said Daliresp, a daily oral tablet, is the first and only approved drug in its class, known as selective phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease made by Forest Labs, the agency said Tuesday.

NEW YORK — A drug for major depressive disorder worked better than placebo, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial announced Thursday.

U.S. drug maker Forest Labs and French drug maker Pierre Fabre Medicament said that while the overall difference between patients treated with levomilnacipran and those treated with the placebo was not statistically significant, the drug consistently demonstrated improvement relative to the placebo over the course of the phase-3 trial.

NEW YORK The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for bacterial infections made by Forest Labs, Forest said.

The drug maker announced the approval of Teflaro (ceftaroline fosamil) for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection, also known as ABSSSI, caused by bacteria that include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureaus.