(One concern I would have here is that it's generally accepted that too frequent use of triptans can lead to rebound headaches, but maybe the high price will be enough to discourage that).
UPDATE 1-Britain clears Glaxo migraine drug for OTC sale
Fri May 19, 2006 8:31 AM ET
LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Britons will be able to buy GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) migraine pill Imigran through pharmacies without a prescription from mid-June, after the drug won a ground-breaking green light from regulators on Friday.
The move reflects a growing tendency towards self-medication that is being encouraged by many governments who see it as a way to increase patient choice and cut state healthcare bills.
Imigran is the first migraine treatment within the so-called "triptan" class to be approved for sale on an over-the-counter (OTC) basis, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said in a statement.
Glaxo plans to sell Imigran Recovery, which contains 50 milligrams of the active ingredient sumatriptan, for 7.99 pounds ($15) for a pack of two tablets. The product will go on sale next month.
Up to 60 percent of British migraine sufferers already rely on OTC medicines to cope with their symptoms, but Imigran is the first product available without prescription to act at the root cause of migraine to stop an attack.
Britain is seen as a leader in switching drugs from prescription to OTC use. Two years ago, the country became the first in the world to allow the sale of an OTC cholesterol-lowering drug -- a low-dose generic version of Merck & Co Inc's (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Zocor, or simvastatin.
PATENT EXPIRY
For Glaxo, the shift to OTC extends the brand life of Imigran in Britain, where it has just lost patent protection.
Patents on the product also expire in many other European markets this month, although it remains protected in the key U.S. marketplace, where it is sold as Imitrex.
Worldwide prescription sales of Imigran/Imitrex totalled 697 million pounds last year, with the United States accounting for 504 million.
Industry analysts predict consumers on both sides of the Atlantic will obtain more and more of their drugs over the counter in future rather than by prescription.
Glaxo is awaiting final U.S. approval for a low-dose, OTC version of Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) obesity pill Xenical, which it plans to market under the brand name Alli.
Other medicines being considered for switching from prescription to OTC use by various groups include drugs to treat high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis and some infections.
The increasing trend towards self-medication is expected to underpin future growth in the non-prescription medicines sector, which has seen a wave of consolidation recently.
Pfizer Inc (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is looking for bids of $13-14 billion for its OTC drugs business, with Glaxo and Reckitt Benckiser Plc (RB.L: Quote, Profile, Research) among European companies thought to be interested, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters earlier this month. |
