Wockhardt gets US FDA's nod for marketing of 3 more drugs

Mumbai, Apr 16 (UNI) Pharma major Wockhardt Limited received an approval from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) of United States today to market three variants of its drug 'Ceftriaxone', enabling the company to market the full range of this potent antibiotic injection there.

Wockhardt already markets Ceftriaxone one gm injection. The new approval is for three more strengths 250 mg, 500 mg and two gm, a company release said.

''We are launching three injection products in the US this week 'Furosemide diuretic', 'Ketorolac anti-inflammatory' and 'Ceftriaxone antibiotic','' Wockhardt chairman Habil Khorakiwala said.

Ceftriaxone injection is a cephalosporin antibiotic for intravenous and intramuscular use. It is the generic name for Rocephin sold by Roche. It is one of the most widely used antibiotics in hospitals all over the world for treating various kinds of bacterial infection, bone and joint infection, meningitis, abdominal, skin and urinary tract injections. The US consumes over 25 million vials worth US 200 million dollars a year, as per International Medical Survey.

The Ceftriaxone range will be marketed by Wockhardt's US subsidiary Wockhardt USA Inc. With three more products to be added this week, the company will have 20 products in the US. US is currently the company's third largest market after Europe and India.

Wockhardt Limited is an internationally approved pharmaceutical and biotechnology company having a strong and innovative research and development programme. Wockhardt has made four successful acquisitions in Europe, where it employs 850 people. Europe and US together account for over half of Wockhardt's sales.

UNI