The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Perrigo Company plc approval of its prescription medicine to treat nasal symptoms caused by seasonal allergies (azelastine hydrochloride nasal spray, 0.15%). Data shows that after two weeks of using azelastine spray, 90 percent of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis reported some or complete control of their sneezing.
Meda Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes the well-regarded brand Astepro, earns approximately $97 million in annual sales from its Astepro® Nasal Spray. Pharmacies including CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens sell one bottle of Astepro (205.5mcg/spray) for $135-145. Forecasters price Perrigo’s generic version at less than $100. Perrigo (based in Dublin, Ireland) and its American partner Impax Laboratories are the first to file Hatch-Waxman patent litigation concerning Meda Pharmaceuticals in the US (New Jersey). The Hatch-Waxman Act (or the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act) is a 1985 US federal law which encourages the manufacture of generic drugs.
