Israel's Teva Loses Pfizer Generic Antidepressant Appeal

Israeli generic drugmaker Teva has lost its appeal against a US court ruling denying the company 180 days' exclusivity on a generic version of Pfizer's antidepressant Zoloft (sertaline). Teva's legal action followed Pfizer's agreement with fellow US drugmaker IVAX to market a rival generic formulation of the product. Sales of the branded version are estimated to total some US$2.5bn annually.

The news is a setback for the Israeli drugmaker, which currently faces a number of legal issues relating to its generics. Germany's Schwarz Pharma is seeking up to US$120mn in damages relating to sales allegedly lost due to Teva's marketing of a generic version of its Univasc heart drug. Meanwhile, Teva has also submitted a request to market a generic erectile dysfunction product in the US, using the same active principle as Pfizer's Viagra, sildenafil citrate, in a move likely to further alienate the research-based sector.