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Perindopril Now Available Generically in the UK
LONDON, July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Apotex UK Ltd, the British arm of Canada's largest generics manufacturer, today announced that it had won a patent dispute, allowing the company to launch its generic version of the popular ACE Inhibitor, perindopril to the NHS. Generic perindopril was first launched by Apotex in the UK in August last year, but almost immediately an interim injunction was granted, based upon the assertion of molecular form patents relating to an alpha-polymorph by Servier. Speaking on behalf of Apotex, Colin Darroch, UK Managing Director said, "It has been a long legal process in dealing with the patent situation and we are delighted that at last perindopril can be made available to patients in the UK at a reduced cost to the NHS. I would like to stress that the Apotex version of perindopril is clinically equivalent to the branded version and so doctors can prescribe it with confidence to both existing and new patients". Generic perindopril will be available to meet prescriptions week beginning 9th July. Notes to editors: ACE inhibitors work by blocking the action of a compound in the body called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Normally ACE produces another compound called angiotensin II, as part of the body's natural control of blood pressure. Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to constrict and narrow, which increases the pressure within the blood vessels. As perindopril blocks the action of ACE, it reduces the production of angiotensin II. This means that the blood vessels are allowed to relax and widen. The overall effect of this is a drop in blood pressure, hence perindopril can be used to lower high blood pressure. The reduced pressure within the blood vessels means that the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump the blood around the body. This means that ACE inhibitors can be used to improve the symptoms of heart failure, where the heart is not pumping as efficiently, and to improve survival following a heart attack.
