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Biotech / Medical : Sepracor-Looks very promising -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rkrw who wrote (7346)	2/5/2004 9:38:54 AM
From: Icebrg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10280

There should at least be some more license fees coming Sepracor's way as the drug is introduced into a new major market. On the other hand - there is the question what this market is worth. Aventis is evidently considering to cut loose its US Allegra franchise. From a news report this morning: He also said the company would consider selling the U.S. rights to its anti- allergy blockbuster Allegra as one of its contingency options if Aventis loses its fight to protect patent rights on the drug. A courtroom battle over the rights is set to take place later this year, but most analysts believe Allegra will succumb to the patent challenge. Meanwhile, Allegra - which generated sales of EUR1.74 billion last year, but which saw a slight decline in U.S. sales - is an important cash contributor for the company, he said. "We wish to keep Allegra, not so much for top-line growth but for cashflow," he said, adding that many companies have expressed an interest in acquiring the U.S. rights to the drug. Aventis's US Allegra sales were 1,4 billion USD last year. Allegra/Telfast (fexofenadine): Global sales activity of the non-sedating allergy medication rose 1.1% in 2003. In the United States, sales activity was flat. Allegra sales in the U.S. were negatively affected primarily by newly available competing over-the-counter (OTC) branded and private-label products in the U.S. during 2003, which reduced overall sales of prescription non-sedating antihistamines, as well as changes in reimbursement for prescription antihistamines by managed care organizations. Allegra prescriptions in the U.S. still grew 0.3%, however, despite a decline of 27% in the market. The pursuit of an indication for use of Allegra in the treatment of asthma has been terminated. Trials related to lawsuits filed against five companies currently seeking to market generic versions of fexofenadine are scheduled to begin in September 2004 in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. In total, six lawsuits are pending in the U.S. District Courts in New Jersey and California. Erik