If any company could produce esomeprazole, as soon as they could ramp up production then there would be more likely to be competition which would erode the pricing power that AstraZeneca currently enjoys.

AstraZeneca and Ranbaxy have been in patent litigation since 2005 over Ranbaxy's intention to market a generic version of Nexium. The Indian generics-maker received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February for generic Nexium, which could have guaranteed it 180 days of marketing exclusivity in the United States upon patent expiry. Generics companies will often challenge patents early to obtain this coveted marketing exclusivity.