Wockhardt gets US FDA nod for Parkinson disease drug

Wockhardt will launch a generic version of Comtan tablets - used in treating Parkinson's disease - in the US, with 180 days of marketing exclusivity.

The drug maker has received US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approval for marketing a generic version of 200 mg tablets containing Entacapone, which is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, the Mumbai-based firm said in a statement.

Pursuant to a settlement of the litigation between Wockhardt and Orion Corporation, Finland, the holder of the NDA, Wockhardt will launch an authorised generic version from September 30, with 180-days of exclusivity, Wockhardt founder chairman and group chief executive officer (CEO) Habil Khorakiwala said.

Wockhardt was the first-tofile with certification on this product, he added. Entacapone tablet is the generic name for the brand Comtan, owned by Orion Corporation and marketed in the US by Novartis.