Ranbaxy (UK) Ltd. (RUKL) has launched esomeprazole 20 mg and 40 mg tablets, the first approved generic bio-equivalent version of the product Nexium, in the United Kingdom (UK), with annual UK sales of £60 million. (IMS June 2011).

Commenting on the development, Debashis Dasgupta, regional director, Ranbaxy Europe, said, “We are committed to bringing high quality, affordable medicines for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems worldwide and in Europe. The introduction of esomeprazole, in the UK, is an important and significant step in this direction.”

The product will be offered through pharmacies, retail and wholesale stores with immediate effect.

Esomeprazole is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

RUKL is the wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited in the UK. It is one of the major generic companies in this market providing medicines in the cardiovascular, CNS, anti-infective, gastroenterology, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, oncology and pain relief therapeutic segments.