Lupin launches generic TriCor in US

Drug firm Lupin has launched generic version of Tricor, an anti-cholesterol drug, in the US market after getting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary of the Mumbai-headquartered firm, has launched fenofibrate tablets in the strengths of 48 mg and 145 mg strengths in the US, Lupin said in a statement.

Lupin's fenofibrate tablets are the generic equivalent of Abbott's Tricor tablets and are indicated for heart diseases including primary hypercholesterolemia, mixed dyslipidemia and severe hypertriglyceridemia. As per IMS Health June, 2012 data, Tricor tablets in the strengths of 48 mg and 145 mg had sales of USD 1.26 billion in the US market. "We are very happy to bring this product to market in the United States. Patients can be assured that they are receiving the same high quality product they have been accustomed to at a more affordable price," Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc CEO Vinita Gupta said.

Currently the market for Tricor has very limited competition, and this makes it a potential cash cow for Lupin, significantly impacting the company's revenues, an analyst said. Tricor is presently being marketed by only three players in the US market--Lupin, Teva and Abbott, the analyst added. Shares of Lupin settled at Rs 565 on the BSE, up 0.87 per cent from its previous close.