Wockhardt gets US FDA approval for Parkinson's drug

Biotechnology major Wockhardt said it has received US FDA approval for marketing a generic version of extended-release tablets containing Ropinirole hydrochloride, which is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Ropinirole extended release tablet is the generic name for the brand Requip XL, marketed in the US by Glaxo SmithKline. Wockhardt will launch the product as soon as possible, a company statement said here.

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Wockhardt will be manufacturing the extended release tablets of Ropinirole at its facility in Aurangabad and the technology for the tablets was developed in-house, the release said According to IMS Health, the total market for this product in the US is about $58 million and the incidence of Parkinson's disease has been increasing worldwide.

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"This is the sixth US FDA approval for Wockhardt in the past 2 weeks," Wockhardt Founder Chairman Habil Khorakiwala said.

Three of these have been for extended-release products. This continues to demonstrate Wockhardt's capability in developing technologically challenging products, Khorakiwala said.

PTI