SmithKline Beecham Fights French Generics

SmithKline Beecham's French subsidiary has cut the price of various forms of Clamoxyl (amoxicillin), one of its leading antibiotic products, by between 6% and 38% as part of a major offensive to counter the rising impact of generics on the French pharmaceutical market.

SB has decided to align the Clamoxyl price with that of the least expensive generic copy, as the French authorities seek to achieve health service economies by promoting and developing the prescription of low-price generics.

Clamoxyl is the first original pharmaceutical to be copied in France, and up to now has been a product singled out for its higher price compared with the eight generic copies available on the market. The gap has been some 8% for the presentation most heavily used - 500mg gels in a pack of 12.