Jul. 1, 2009 (The Hindu Business Line) --
The company will first launch the product in the US, making the product Lupin’s third in its oral branded portfolio. The INS market generated $2.5 billion in annual sales in the US, a Lupin note said.
Collegium sold the product as it wanted to focus on dermatology, Mr S. Ramesh, Lupin’s President-Finance and Planning, told Business Line. Lupin owns the intellectual property on the product. It will be produced in the US through toll manufacturers, though the company could look at transferring the production to India over a period of time, he added.
Lupin has a 60-person-strong field-force in the US supporting its portfolio and looks to add another 60 gradually, depending on the sales of AllerNaze, Mr Ramesh said. The company is looking to strengthen its oral branded portfolio as it mitigates volatility and price-related risks, he said.
The category already has two products from Sanofi Aventis (NYSE:SNY) and Abbott, a pharma analyst said. Lupin has faced competition in the past and will handle the new product similarly, he said.
The US regulatory Food and Drug Administration has approved AllerNaze nasal spray, 50 mcg, an aqueous-based intranasal steroid indicated for the once daily treatment of nasal symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis in adults and children of 12 years and above, a Lupin note said.
