Santarus expects Rx gains from OTC Zegerid
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Assuming FDA approval and Merck/Schering-Plough's launch of the OTC proton pump inhibitor, Santarus anticipates the OTC advertising will carry over and create top-line gains for Rx Zegerid. "We think on the prescription side, Schering's advertising will actually help us with physicians, reminding them about the Zegerid product," said CEO Gerald Proehl Nov. 17 at the Lazard Capital Markets Annual Healthcare Conference in New York. He noted the San Diego firm's competitors, such as AstraZeneca with Rx Nexium, invest heavily in direct-to-consumer advertising. The bulk of prescriptions for the omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate drug are in the 40-mg formulation, while the switch application is for a 20-mg version. Rx Zegerid sales increased 12.1 percent to $31.5 million in Santarus' third quarter (1"The Tan Sheet" Nov. 9, 2009)