Executive Summary

Canadian Tagamet HB: SmithKline Beecham will not launch the H2 antagonist in 100 mg strength in Canada because of the competitive disadvantage caused by delays in the switch process, the company says. SB has received "technical" approval of either one- or two-tablet dosing of the 100 mg form but has not gone through the subsequent descheduling process, requiring a comment period following publication in the Canada Gazette. After descheduling, Tagamet would have been one year behind the launch of Pepcid AC -- the only OTC H2 antagonist in Canada. In the U.S., SmithKline recently replaced the 100 mg form of Tagamet HB with a 200 mg version ("The Tan Sheet" Nov. 18, 1996, p. 1)..