The Hindu Business Line : Ranbaxy launches hypertension drug in Japan

Mumbai, July 23 Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has launched in the Japanese market its generic version of hypertension drug Amlodipine tablets in different strengths.

Amlodipine is the largest molecule that has gone off patent in Japan and represents the biggest generic opportunity in the Japanese generic market, the company said. The estimated market size of the product is $2 billion.

Earlier in the year, Ranbaxy had received authorisation from Japan’s Ministry of Health and Labour Welfare for marketing the generic version of Amlodipine tablets 2.5mg and 5mg, the versions that have been launched.

Only last month, Ranbaxy’s promoter family announced their decision to sell their entire stake in the company to Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo in a $ 4.6-billion deal.

Japan is seeing an increasing acceptance of generic medicines, expected to touch 30 per cent of the volume by 2012, the company said. Ranbaxy already has four products in the Japanese generics market. The company will introduce more products in the next couple of years from its portfolio, it added. Since 2004, Ranbaxy has filed seven products in Japan and has got approvals for them.

Ranbaxy shares were marginally up on the BSE at Rs 466.20.

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