[News] Topamax creators

[Rae1889]

I was trying to search for epilepsy related articles in my newspaper. and one came up from september about how Johnson and Johnson (makers of the brand name Topamax anti-epileptic drug) are trying to pull themselves out of the recession.

The have stated that their biggest loses are in the pharmaceutical area, as more and more people are turning to the cheaper generic brands for various reason. Their 2 top sellers, topamax, and an arthritis med, have had the biggest loses. Topamax dropped in sales by 76%.

Johnson and johnson are now considering 2 options: dropping their pharmaceutical area all together, meanin gtopamax brand name will not be made. or selling the rights to Topamax to another company. which means price, availabilty and fillers may change depending on what the new buyers decide to do with it.

Just a heads up as the descion could be made as early as june 2010.

[Nakamova]

Good to know! It's hard to be at the mercy of Big Pharma...

[seizingbeauty]

Good to know! It's hard to be at the mercy of Big Pharma...

They have mercy???? no one told me that

[Meetz1064]

I have never heard of such a joke in my life. Big Pharma have mercy??? BAH.

[RobinN]

For those taking that drug, that is excellent news to know.

[Bernard]

I found this article with a good overview of J&J's situation:

Despite best efforts to build a diversified health care business, the fortunes of Johnson & Johnson remain tethered to prescription drug sales, which comprise almost 40 percent of total revenue. Generic cannibalization of blockbuster drugs that have lost — or are losing — patent protection, combined with other challenges irrupting on the scene, will make recapturing lost revenue ever more difficult at U.S. operations.

Notwithstanding a diversified portfolio covering five therapeutic areas — like most drug manufacturers — J&J derives most drug sales from a few blockbuster medicines. Third-quarter U.S. pharmaceutical sales at the world’s largest health care conglomerate fell 19.2 percent to $2.9 billion, as demand for seizure medicine Topamax (topiramate) and Risperdal oral (risperidone), a treatment for schizophrenic and bipolar disorders, was trodden beneath the feet of cheaper copycats:

• Topamax, which is also an FDA-approved treatment for migraine, recorded U.S. sales of $2.3 billion in 2008, an increase of 11.3 percent compared with 2007, according to J&J’s 2008 annual report. The drug lost patent protection in March 2009. In the latest third quarter, sales of Topamax declined 88 percent to $72 million!
• Risperdal experienced a similar fate following the June 2008 U.S. patent expiration. In the second half of fiscal 2008, U.S. sales of Risperdal dropped to $200 million, from $1.1 billion in the first half. Third-quarter 2009 sales were an anemic $35 million, down from $122 million in the prior year, according to a J&J 2009 supplemental sales report.

...
In the coming year, look for J&J to leverage time-tested tactics to manage profitability, such as the global restructuring initiatives announced on November 3, which management projects will generate pre-tax cost savings of $800 - $900 million in 2010 and between $1.4 - $1.7 billion when fully implemented in 2011.

Longer-term, the company’s robust product pipeline and recent flurry of deal making — from acquiring the rights to Elan’s drug research on Alzheimer’s disease to partnering with Crucell on a universal influenza vaccine — should mitigate revenue losses from other blockbuster drugs going off-patent. A word of caution: replenishing its product pipeline is the easy part. Getting buy-in from physicians, however, might require some tinkering to its selling strategies. Otherwise, J&J managers might need to ingest some of their own extra-strength Tylenol gel-caps to rid themselves of future migraines like Invega.

http://industry.bnet.com/pharma/1000...hnson-johnson/

[Bernard]

I got this press release in an email from a marketing company:

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. today announced the next phase of its strategic plan for central nervous system (CNS) diseases with USL255 (extended release topiramate), an internally developed program for the management of epilepsy. USL255 is being developed with Upsher-Smith’s proprietary formulation technology and will enter a phase III clinical trial in early 2010 for the adjunctive treatment of epilepsy patients with partial onset seizures. USL255 is designed to provide convenient once daily dosing and reduce fluctuations in topiramate blood levels observed with currently available topiramate options.

[droolmonster]

I don't care if they stop making topamax. I hate that drug. Good news for everyone who's had the misfortune of being on it. I SPIT on topamax. And Johnson and Johnson, capitalist pigs.

[Rae1889]

Bad news for anyone that has had wonderful seizure control with it. or any drug they discontinue or has issues. What doesnt work for you, may be the miracle for some

[Meetz1064]

Rae. I use it, but more for migraine control........