Sandoz begins EU rollout of generic antidepressant escitalopram

Sandoz has announced the launch of a new generic antidepressant in a number of European countries.

The company has commenced the EU rollout of generic escitalopram – an affordable and high-quality version of the branded reference product Cipralex – in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

It is available in all strengths approved for the original product – 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg – and will allow Sandoz to tap into a market valued at around $600 million (358.22 million pounds), according to IMS sales estimates for Cipralex.

Nick Haggar, head of Sandoz in western Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: "Sandoz is already a regional leader in the segment of generic central nervous system therapies. This launch further strengthens that position and drives access to affordable high-quality versions of critical medicines."

This comes after the firm introduced Mometasone Sandoz, the first generic version of leading respiratory therapy Nasonex, in France last week.