Nexium makes strong start in USA

AstraZeneca's new-generation proton pump inhibitor Nexium (esomeprazole)has made a strong start in its first six weeks on the US market, capturing over 5% of new prescriptions. The data, while preliminary, suggests that the firm's confidence in building-up the product to offset the forthcoming US patent expiry on Prilosec (omeprazole), expected any time from October, is justified. Nexium's growth is roughly three times faster than any previous PPI take-off, AstraZeneca's chief executive, Tom McKillop, told the Financial Times.

The prospects for Nexium were also lifted by new data presented at the Digestive Diseases Week meeting in Atlanta, USA, which showed that the drug outperformed four competing PPIs in terms of providing effective acid control in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Nexium was found to be superior to Prilosec, American Home Products/Altana's Protonix (pantoprazole),Takeda/TAP Pharmaceuticals' Prevacid (lansoprazole) and Eisai/Johnson & Johnson's Aciphex/ Pariet (rabeprazole).