Long time readers know my disdain for Nexium. The drug is outrageously expensive and no more effective than its predecessor Prilosec. It warms my heart to read about this suit – U.S. Retailers Sue AstraZeneca Over Nexium Strategy
The suit claimed AstraZeneca’s strategy has forced the retailers to pay artificially inflated, monopoly prices for the branded version of the drug, known generically as omeprazole. Nexium is also known as esomeprazole.
The lawsuit says AstraZeneca has maintained 70 percent share of the market and blames exclusionary tactics that it says inhibited the sale of generic and over-the-counter competitors.
AstraZeneca devised a strategy in anticipation of the expiration of the Prilosec patents, known as the Shark Fin Project, to preserve its market position, according to the suit.
At the same time, the lawsuit claims AstraZeneca effectively withdrew Prilosec from the market. The company got approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell it over-the-counter causing some insurers to stop providing coverage for generic Prilosec.
The costly product-switching strategy “made no economic sense absent its effect of impairing generic competition for Prilosec,” the lawsuit contends.
Sweet!
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2 Responses to Nice story about Nexium
Steve Lucas
December 21st, 2006 at 6:24 am
In a little blurb yesterday’s WSJ noted one of Nexium’s patents was disallowed in Europe. Other suits are pending both there and in the US.
Steve Lucas
ab2009
August 1st, 2009 at 11:37 am
I have been taking acid blockers of some sort for 30 years (Tagament, Prilosec and now Nexium). I have gained about 20 pounds over the years and cannot seem to lose it even with a low-calorie low-fat diet and exericise (which brought a myriad of complications including plantars fascitis and bursitis). I have tried quitting Nexium, but I get extremely bad heartburn and reflux (much worse than the original issue all those years ago). Can anyone recommend how to get off the proton pump inhibitors? I would be willing to change my diet, etc. I recently started eating yogurt. I eat bunches of fruit and I’m vegetarian and have been for 17 years.