Cipla mulls felodipine deal with Mutual

Indian drugmaker Cipla is looking at the possibility of a strategicalliance with USA-based Mutual Pharma for the supply of the bulk antihypertensive drug felodipine (AstraZeneca's Plendil), reports the Indian Financial Express, whereby Mutual would formulate the product with imported bulk from Cipla.

Over the past few years, Cipla has entered into a number of similar agreements, for example with IVAX Corp's affiliate Zenith Goldline on the prostate cancer drug flutamide. The newspaper notes that responsibility for the Abbreviated New Drug Application would belong to the US partner and Cipla has all along maintained that it would work on ANDAs jointly with a generics manufacturing firm, while "cashing in on the expertise" of its partner for filings.

In 1999, US sales of Plendil reached over $150 million, and were growing at 24%, says the Financial Express. Working in cooperation with Cipla, as well as Universal Research, Mutual Pharma expect to gain 180 days' exclusivity for their generic felodipine under Waxman-Hatch legislation, following patent expiry in late-2001.