Cipla is focusing on limited competition drugs to grow sales and offset price erosion in the US market.
The drugmaker on Friday said the US Food and Drug Administration had approved a generic version of anti-asthma drug Pulmicort Respules, which has an annual market size of $825 million. Only five companies sell the drug in the US. Anmol Ganjoo of J M Financial Securities estimates that Pulmicort Respules could contribute to around $40 million in sales and 5 per cent of Cipla’s earnings in FY19.
This is the second important approval for Cipla in recent weeks.
In October, it received the nod for a generic version of limited competition drug Renvela, used to treat kidney disease.
Cipla, Lupin out of Sensex
Cipla and Lupin have been dropped from the benchmark BSE Sensex. Private sector lenders IndusInd Bank and YES Bank will be the new entrants to the 30-share index. The changes will be effective from December 18, provider Asia Index, a joint venture between BSE and S&P Dow Jones, stated.