Sales of Copaxone continued to rise in the fourth quarter of last
year, according to the 2003 financial statement of French drug
producer Aventis. Aventis markets Teva Pharmaceuticals' (TASE,
Nasdaq:TEVA) Copaxone treatment for relapsing/remitting multiple
sclerosis in Europe.
Aventis reported that global sales of the proprietary treatment
reached $211 million in the fourth quarter, up 11% from the same
quarter of 2002.
A breakdown of the results shows that fourth-quarter Copaxone sales
in the U.S. came to $149 million. The other areas, mainly Europe,
were responsible for the remaining $62 million.
U.S. sales of Copaxone in the fourth quarter rose 3% from $144
million in 2002. Growth in the rest of the world was 35%.
For the whole year 2003, Copaxone sales were $765 million, again an
increase of 11% from the previous year.
Growth patterns were even more marked: 1% in the U.S. to $542
million, 50% in the rest of the world to $222 million.
Copaxone competes with three other drugs for multiple sclerosis:
Avonex made by Biogen, Betaseron made by Schering Plough, and Rebif,
a product by Serono.
Serono reported that global sales of Rebif (developed by Israeli arm
Interpharm) increased 49% in 2003 to $819.4 million. Fourth-quarter
sales reached $233.2 million, an increase of 36% from the parallel
quarter of 2002.
Rebif sales in the U.S., a relatively new market for the drugs, shot
up by 60% to $55.7 million in the fourth quarter, Serono reported.
Annual U.S. 2003 sales of Rebif were $188.5 million. Serono has
allied with Pfizer to market Rebif in the U.S. market.
The Israeli developed, produced and marketed Copaxone is the fruit of
research by Weizmann Institute scientists including Prof. Michael
Sela and Prof. Ruth Arnon. It became Israel's first blockbuster drug
after an extensive period of development by Teva Pharmaceuticals.