UPDATE: Hospira Restarts Shipments Of Generic Cancer Drug
19 Agosto 2009 - 7:44PM
Dow Jones News
A court order that briefly blocked Hospira Inc.'s (HSP) approval
to sell a generic version of the Sanofi-Aventis SA (SNY)
colon-cancer drug Eloxatin in the U.S. has been dissolved, Hospira
said Wednesday.
It added in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission that it has resumed shipments of the drug, known
generically as oxaliplatin.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA), which also was
restrained by Sanofi's legal challenge, said it too resumed
shipping oxaliplatin, according to an email from a company
spokeswoman.
On Aug. 11, Hospira said it was launching generic oxaliplatin
domestically, and that it had one of the first generic versions of
the drug in solution form. Hospira noted that the drug racked up
about $1.4 billion in U.S. sales for Sanofi last year.
But three days later, Hospira said it received notice from the
Food and Drug Administration that the company's oxaliplatin
application was suspended due to "legal proceedings initiated by
the innovator company against the FDA," and a court order issued in
that proceeding.
The court order was dissolved on Tuesday, and Hospira received
notice on Wednesday that the previously suspended approved
application "has been reinstated by the FDA," the company said in
the SEC filing.
"Legal proceedings related to this product are ongoing," Hospira
said.
Hospira shares added 2.3% to $39.75, Teva gained 1.3% to $51.45
and Sanofi rose 2.7% to $32.55.
-By Jon Kamp, Dow Jones Newswires; 617-654-6728;
jon.kamp@dowjones.com