GENERIC INDOMETHACIN SALES APPROACHING $1 MIL. PER MONTH

GENERIC INDOMETHACIN SALES APPROACHING $1 MIL. PER MONTH, at acquisition cost, McKesson's Pharmaceutical Data Services (PDS) reported in its Alpha-Gram short report on October sales. Marketed since May be several generic mfrs., including Mylan and Lederle, generic indomethacin sales are collectively annualizing at $12 mil., PDS data indicate. PDS noted that the introduction of generic indomethacin is one of four "significant events" occurring in the past 12 months that have "altered the complexion of the prescription NSAI (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory) market."

Among the other "significant events" in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory market cited by PDS are: the launch of non-prescription ibuprofen; the price reduction of both Motrin and Rufen; and the ascent of Pfizer's Feldene (piroxicam) to the number one position in U.S. sales of all marketed Rx nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

"The price reductions of Motrin and Rufen have shrunk the size of the current NSAI market to $985 mil. (at acquisition cost)," PDS noted. The total sales of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents over the last 12 months are now up just 2% over the same period in 1983, PDS data show. "Furthermore," PDS added, "Motrin has fallen to the third largest selling product in the class."

PDS rankings for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the 12 months to October 1984 show Pfizer's Feldene leading the field followed by Syntex' Naprosyn in second, Upjohn's Motrin in third, and Merck's Indocin and Clinoril in fourth and fifth, respectively. McNeil's Tolectin, Lilly's Nalfon and Boots' Rufen follow in descending order.