Teva and Novartis’ Sandoz launch Narcan generics on same day, brand marketer Emergent remains in play
Teva and Novartis’ Sandoz recently launched generic versions of Narcan on the same day, but it likely wasn’t a coincidence. Both first-to-market generics for Narcan, an opioid overdose rescue nasal spray, are FDA approved, but only Sandoz’ version is authorized by Narcan’s brand marketer Emergent BioSolutions.
Emergent, which acquired Adapt Pharma and the Narcan nasal spray in 2018, has been in a protracted patent litigation with Teva over its generic version. The FDA approved Teva’s naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray in April 2019 as the first Narcan generic, but Emergent filed a lawsuit alleging Teva infringed on Adapt patents. A decision in 2020 ruled in favor of Teva, but Emergent appealed. This past summer a three-judge US Court of Appeals panel heard Emergent’s case but had yet to render a final decision.
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