ICI’s IPR SUBSIDIARY LAUNCHING GENERIC TO TENORETIC AT 25% DISCOUNT

ICI's IPR SUBSIDIARY LAUNCHING GENERIC TO TENORETIC AT 25% DISCOUNT with shipments to the trade beginning on July 1. Puerto Rico-based IPR Pharmaceuticals, which was established by ICI to manufacture and sell generic atenolol prior to the expiration of the company's Tenormin patent, will manufacture the atenolol/chlorthalidone generic combination product. Sales and marketing of the generic Tenoretic will be handled by Jacksonville, Fla.-based HMS, which also is marketing IPR's atenolol. The generic version of Tenoretic will carry a bigger discount to the branded product at launch than the IPR generic Tenormin, which was introduced at a 16.7% discount. The IPR generic Tenoretic is priced to wholesalers at $57.23 per bottle of 100s for the atenolol 50 mg/chlorthalidone 25 mg dose and $80.32 per bottle of 100s for the atenolol 100 mg/chlorthalidone 25 mg dose. IPR began accepting orders on June 22. ICI apparently has decided to move up its launch of a generic version of Tenoretic in response to a successful challenge of the company's use patent covering the hypertension claim for atenolol by Danbury (see related T&G above). That patent represented the last protection against generic competition for Tenoretic, which is approved solely for the treatment of hypertension. ICI has taken a novel approach to managing the Tenormin patent expiration by setting up a subsidiary business to manufacture and market a competing generic. An ICI spokesperson said that at present, the "picture is not totally clear" whether this strategy has given the company a better hold on Tenormin and the overall atenolol market share in the face of a growing number of generic competitors. Earlier market share figures had shown that ICI was still holding on to about 95% of the atenolol market prior to Danbury and Mylan approvals for generic atenolol in December and January, respectively ("The Pink Sheet" Feb. 17, p. 9). HMS, which markets the IPR generics, is headed by former Lawrence Pharmaceuticals founder Lawrence Dubow and his son Michael. Sales operations are conducted from three regional offices in Dallas, Atlanta and New Jersey. The company indicated that it continues to seek arrangements similar to the IPR marketing effort with other manufacturers that have products coming off patent.