International drug major Wockhardt today reported that it had received an

initial “go ahead” signal from United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)

for marketing 5 mg and 10 mg of Donepezil HCI tablets.

Donepezil tablets which are also known as Aricept are used in curing Alzheimer’s

disease and dementia. The drug would be manufactured at US FDA sanctioned plant

in Waluj, Aurangabad, while the API used for the formulation of the tablet would be

manufactured at Ankleshwar, Gujarat.

The drug would be launched in the U.S. on May 28, 2011; according to reports from

IMS Health the drug has a market of over $2.5 million.

Wockhardt’s Chairman Habil Khorakiwala said that this was the firm’s second

approval within a week and that the company is hopeful to launch the drugs on a

suitable date.

Earlier in April, Wockhardt had received the final authorization from the health

regulator to market its generic Venlafaxine Hydrochloride capsules in the American

market which are used in curing depression.

Currently on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), stocks of the firm are trading at

Rs. 359.80 up by 7.50 points or by 2.13 per cent. So far, the stock has seen an

intraday high of Rs. 369.00 and an intraday low of Rs. 354.50. (1:18 P.M IST)