Dive Brief:
- Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy's Laboratories last week changed the color of its generic Nexium to blue from purple.
- AstraZeneca had claimed a generic purple version of its drug would cause confusion among consumers, as Nexium has long been marketed as the "purple pill." In November of last year, a federal district court in Delaware sided with AZ and temporarily blocked U.S. sales of Dr. Reddy's version.
- Since October 30, 2015, 2% of all Nexium prescriptions written in the U.S. were for the Dr. Reddy's version.
Dive Insight:
It's been less than two months since a court blocked introduction of Dr. Reddy's purple generic Nexium capsules. However, the company has moved ahead with a change and announced a relaunch of its drug in a blue-coated version. As the Neixum market is worth roughly $2 billion, a rapid re-launch strategy makes sense, rather than continuing a legal fight.
In a short press release, Dr. Reddy's said the re-launch was due to a change in the capsule color, without referencing AstraZeneca's infringement claims.