RANBAXY WINS FINAL FDA APPROVAL FOR GENERIC ATENOLOL TABLETS

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals won final FDA approval to market atenolol, a generic version of AstraZeneca's hypertension drug Tenormin, the company announced.

Ranbaxy said generic atenolol tablets in 25-, 50- and 100-mg doses should be available before the end of March.

Generic atenolol will be produced and marketed through an alliance formed last September between Ranbaxy and Ipca Laboratories. Under that arrangement, Ipca will develop several generic prescription pharmaceutical products, with Ranbaxy responsible for marketing them.

Generic firm Ohm Laboratories won FDA approval last month for its abbreviated new drug application to market generic atenolol tablets in 25-, 50- and 100-mg doses.

Annual sales for atenolol were $133.6 million during the period ended September 2006, according to IMS Health.