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Mid-Sized Pharma in Mega-Sized Markets

As it begins to market its own version of the popular drug Ritalin, Alza Corp. is likely to encounter physicians with their own kind of attention deficit disorder. Alza hopes to distinguish Concerta from a crowd of ADHD drugs already on the market, by stressing its compliance advantage. But Alza needs extra sales help. It thus signed up McNeil Consumer HealthCare to co-promote Concerta.

As it begins to market its own version of the popular drug Ritalin, Alza Corp. is likely to encounter physicians with their own kind of attention-deficit disorder. Alza hopes to distinguish Concerta, a once-daily formulation of methylphenidate now at the FDA awaiting marketing approval, by stressing its compliance advantage. Students required to take a mid-day dose of the drug often resist visits to the school nurse, and parents tire of fighting with their children about taking other versions of the medication three times a day.

Still, Concertawill be a late entrant in a $1 billion market dominated by other versions of methylphenidate manufactured by Novartis...

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