Aurobindo, Glenmark and Sun Pharma shares surged by up to 5 per cent today after the firms got US health regulator's nod to sell their generic versions of cholesterol drug Crestor in the American market.
Aurobindo Pharma jumped 5.09 per cent to settle at Rs 797.95 on BSE. Glenmark Pharma went up by 2.39 per cent to Rs 853.10 and Sun Pharma rose by 1.89 per cent to Rs 797.
IPR Pharmaceuticals Inc's Crestor tablets had posted annual sales of around USD 6.78 billion in the 12 months ended May 2016.
The approval granted by the USFDA to three domestic firms for generic rosuvastatin calcium tablets are for strengths of 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg.
Aurobindo pharma was one of the first ANDA applicants to submit a substantially complete ANDA with a paragraph IV certification. Therefore, the company "is eligible for 180 days of generic drug shared exclusivity. The product is launched in the US market", it said.
Both Sun and Glenmark said the approvals for their generic rosuvastatin calcium tablets have been granted to their subsidiaries in the US.
Crestor is used to lower cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in blood and is used for reducing the chances of developing problems such as heart disease and strokes.
