PRILOSEC TIME IS JUST ABOUT UP

摘要

It's the drug industry's answer to the Hollywood sequel. AstraZeneca PLC'S $6 billion stomach drug Prilosec is the top-selling prescription medicine in the world. With a key U.S. patent expiring next April, however, rivals could roll out cheaper, generic versions of Prilosec as early as autumn. So AstraZeneca is hard at work on plans to premiere Prilosec: The Next Generation. In early 2001, the drugmaker is expected to launch Nexium, a new medication derived from Prilosec, and is planning a massive marketing blitz as early as January. The goal: to switch as many patients as possible from Prilosec to the patent-protected Nexium before the generics arrive.