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news.A US court of appeal has upheld an earlier decision allowing Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and India's Ranbaxy Laboratories exclusive rights to market generic versions of Merck & Co.'s cholesterol treatment Zocor.
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The companies have been awarded 180-day exclusivity for their copies of Zocor, with no rival drugs allowed to be marketed during this period. As the first company to file an abbreviated new drug application for Zocor, Teva was eligible to receive an exclusivity period.
The FDA had earlier said that any manufacturers of generic Zocor should be allowed to launch the product and appealed the decision made by the district court.
The market exclusivity can be profitable for companies especially with top-selling drugs such as Zocor. Zocor is a prescription drug designed as an addition to diet for many patients with high cholesterol who are at risk of heart attacks.