APP to launch Meropenem, Cilastatin and Imipenem in the U.S.

Feb 8 2012

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Fresenius Kabi Company, announced today that it will launch both Imipenem and Cilastatin for Injection, USP and Meropenem for Injection, USP in the United States. APP will begin shipping Meropenem for Injection the week of February 13, 2012 with Imipenem and Cilastatin for Injection scheduled to ship in the next three to five weeks.

Imipenem and Cilastatin for Injection is therapeutically equivalent to the reference-listed drug Primaxin IV^®, which is currently marketed by the innovator Merck & Co. Meropenem for Injection is therapeutically equivalent to the reference-listed drug Merrem IV^®, currently marketed by the innovator AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP.

APP's Imipenem and Cilastatin for Injection will be available in 250 mg and 500 mg single dose vials, while Meropenem for Injection will be available in 500 mg and 1 gram single dose vials. Both products are AP-rated, preservative-free and bar-coded. According to IMS Health, in 2011 combined sales of both products in the United States were approximately $229 million^.

"The upcoming launch of these two products marks APP's entry into the Carbapenem market," said John Ducker, President and Chief Executive Officer of APP Pharmaceuticals. "Adding these two products to our portfolio further strengthens our existing anti-infective line and helps solidify our continued leadership in the reliable supply of sterile generic injectables."