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NEW YORK — In the wake of patent settlements with Pfizer Inc. earlier this year, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan Inc. and Actavis plc have rolled out generic versions of the blockbuster anti-inflammatory pain relief drug Celebrex.
Teva, Mylan and Actavis announced the release of their generic Celebrex capsules (celecoxib) on Wednesday. Teva reported that it launched the first Food and Drug Administration-approved generic equivalent of Celebrex in the United States.
"Teva is pleased to be the first to launch generic Celebrex. The addition of celecoxib capsules to our U.S. generics portfolio is further evidence of Teva’s commitment to bring affordable treatment solutions to patients," stated Siggi Olafsson, president and chief executive officer of global generic medicines at Teva.
Pfizer’s Celebrex capsules had total U.S. sales of about $2.56 billion in the 12 months through October, according to IMS Health data cited by Teva.
Teva, Mylan and Actavis are all offering their celecoxib capsules in dosages of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg.
Celebrex is indicated for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease of the spine. Celebrex also is used for the management of acute pain in adults.
Mylan announced its patent settlement agreement with Pfizer in June, while Teva and Actavis reported their settlements with Pfizer in April. Teva Canada Ltd. released a generic version of Celebrex to pharmacies in Canada in mid-November.
