Dive Brief:
- Actavis Plc planned to withdraw Namenda (memantine) IR form the market in August to introduce its newest formulation -- Namenda XR.
- A lawsuit filed on September 15 in New York accused Actavis and its subsidiary Forest Labs of trying to reduce generic competition and force patients to switch over to the pricier new formulation.
- Actavis has reached an agreement with the NY attorney general to continue selling the less expensive Namenda IR for 60 days.
Dive Insight:
With patent expiration of Namenda IR imminent (July 2015), marketers at Actavis and Forest have a vested interest in switching patients to a branded formulation. In fact, 40% of patients have already switched.
Because of the lawsuit, Actavis and Forest have agreed to continue selling Namenda IR, but it's unclear what will happen on the other side of this 60-day window. Regardless, chances are good that by next summer, generic competitors will be introducing cheaper versions of memantine IR.