Barr Laboratories Announces Victory in Minnesota Drug Formulary Committee Reaffirmation

Barr Laboratories, a leading manufacturer of generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals, has announced a major victory in the Minnesota Drug Formulary Committee's unanimous reaffirmation of its decision to permit mandatory substitution of Barr's Warfarin Sodium for Minnesota Medicaid patients. This decision rejects a second attempt by DuPont Pharmaceuticals to block consumer access to a more affordable generic version of the anti-coagulant, which costs over $9 million annually for Minnesota patients.

Key Takeaways:

• The Minnesota Drug Formulary Committee unanimously reaffirmed its August decision to permit mandatory substitution of Barr's Warfarin Sodium for Minnesota Medicaid patients, rejecting DuPont Pharmaceuticals' attempt to block consumer access to a more affordable generic version.
• The interchangeability of Barr's Warfarin Sodium for Coumadin has been demonstrated in two peer-reviewed and published clinical studies: one conducted at the Long Beach, California, VA Medical Center, and the second conducted by Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest HMO.
• The experience of Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in substituting Barr's product for DuPont's has also been published, showcasing the safety and effectiveness of generic substitution.
• Warfarin Sodium Tablets are used in the treatment of complications associated with atrial fibrillation, a disease that affects three million Americans, particularly the elderly.
• To date, approximately three million prescriptions have been dispensed with the Barr product.
• Barr Laboratories is engaged in the development, manufacture, and marketing of generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals.
• DuPont's Coumadin is a registered trademark, and Barr's Warfarin Sodium has been demonstrated to be interchangeably used in clinical settings.

Statistics:

• $9 million: The amount Minnesota patients spend annually on Warfarin Sodium.
• 11th: The ranking of Warfarin Sodium Tablets as a most refilled prescription drug in the United States.
• 19 million: The number of prescriptions written for Warfarin Sodium and Coumadin in the past 12 months.
• 0.1%: The frequency of necrosis and/or gangrene of skin and other tissues as a risk associated with anticoagulant therapy with Warfarin Sodium.
• 3 million: The number of Americans affected by atrial fibrillation, particularly the elderly.

Sources:

• Barr Laboratories, Inc.
• Minnesota Drug Formulary Committee
• DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• American Heart Association (AHA)
• Kaiser Permanente
• Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound