WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. district court ruling may restrict the availability of a cheaper generic version of the cholesterol reducing drug Zocor.
The ruling may also challenge a decision by the Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve all successful petitions to market generic Zocor.
The U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. ruled that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of Israel and Ranbaxy Laboratories of India can market generic Zocor free from competition for half a year, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Prior to the ruling, about a dozen different manufacturers were expected to start selling the generic statin drug by June, driving down the price of Zocor, said the report.
The ruling says Teva can market the 10-, 20- and 40-milligram versions of the pill, while Ranbaxy could market the 80-milligram pills.
The Journal report said the FDA could appeal the decision or find other arguments to challenge the companies' exclusivity. It said among the losers in the ruling are pharmacy-benefit managers, who earn much of their profits from generic drugs.
