Wockhardt launches generic version of Protonix tablets in the US

Wockhardt Limited | Wockhardt Towers | | Bandra Kurla Complex | Bandra (E) | | Mumbai 400 051 | India | | Tel.: +91-22-2653 4444 | | Fax: +91-22-2653 4242 | Wockhardt launches generic version of Protonix® tablets in the US Mumbai, January 21, 2011 Pharmaceutical and biotechnology major Wockhardt has received final approval from the United States Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) for marketing 20mg and 40mg Pantoprazole Delayed Release tablets of Pantoprazole (Protonix) that is used for treatment of GI Ulcers and hyperacidity. Pantoprazole is the generic name for the brand Protonix, marketed in the United States by Pfizer / Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. As the patent covering this product expired on Jan 19, 2011, Wockhardt launched the product immediately. According to Wolters Kluwer, the total market for this product in the US is about $2 billion and belongs to the class of Proton Pump Inhibitors. The product is a delayed release tablet and requires specialized technology and manufacturing capability. “This is yet another product that Wockhardt has been able to launch on the date of patent expiry,” said Wockhardt Chairman Habil Khorakiwala. “The ability to lau nch products on the date of patent expiry is a critical requirement to create maximum value and over the years, Wockhardt has been able to reinforce this capability on several occasions,” he added. In the US generic pharmaceutical market, Wockhardt has been consistently growing market shares for all its products. In many instances, Wockhardt, by virtue of being amongst the first to market, has reaped the advantage of being an early entrant. The tablets will be manufactured at the US FDA certified formul ation plant at Waluj, Aurangabad and the Pantoprazole sodium API will be manufactured in the FDA certified API plant at Ankleshwar, Gujarat. The tablets and the API were developed in- house. About Wockhardt Wockhardt is a technology-driven global pharmaceutical and biotechnology major with an innovative multi-disciplinary research and development programme. It has 5 research centres and 14 world-class manufacturing plants dotting various countries and continents that are compliant to international regulatory standards such as the US FDA, MHRA and other global regulatory bodies. It has end-to-end integrated capabilities for its products, starting with manufacture of the oral and sterile API’s, the dosage forms and marketing through its wholly owned subsidiary in the US. Wockhardt has a global footprint including the US, UK, Ireland and France with a multi-ethnic workforce from 14 different nationalities. Protonix is a registered trademark of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.

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