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Article: Sleeping giants: with three launches in the space of six months, nobody's resting easy in the $2.1 billion insomnia market. Sanofi-Aventis is looking to defend Ambien's turf, while Sepracor's Lunesta and Takeda's Rozerem aim to put on share and seek footholds in a suddenly crowded market.
- Article from:
- Medical Marketing & Media
- Article date:
- November 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Haymarket Media, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The market for anti-insomnia drugs has all the stuff of a Hollywood thriller: a David-vs.-Goliath story, edge-of-the-seat drama and a cast of thousands.
Sanofi-Aventis hopes to restore some youthful vigor to its blockbuster category-leader Ambien (zolpidem) with a new extended release formula. The franchise's long reign is being challenged by Lunesta (eszopiclone) from Sepracor. Enter Rozerem (ramelteon), another player with a completely new mechanism of action from Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.
The three new drugs debuted within six months of each other, starting with the April launch of Lunesta, which employed a simultaneous consumer and ...