Cooperation in DNA extraction

Published: 22-Oct-2001


Sales of Paxil (Seroxat), GSK's best-selling antidepressant, are falling in the US amid a wave of litigation from patients who claim the drug is addictive. The drug has come under pressure in the wake of cheap generic versions of Prozac, Eli Lilly's antidepressant, which came off patent last month.

Paxil, which like Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is GSK's biggest selling drug, with worldwide sales of £871m (US$1.2bn) in the first half of this year. It was not expected that Paxil, and other SSRI drugs, such as Pfizer's Zoloft, would be affected so quickly by the generic Prozac.

The one bright spot for GSK is that Paxil treats a wider range of conditions, including anxiety, than any other SSRI, which should help the drug maintain its market position. The signs of slowing sales come days after a lawsuit claiming that Paxil is addictive. A spokesman said, 'There is no reliable evidence that Paxil/Seroxat is addictive or leads to dependency.'

GSK have also had to defend a lawsuit in Wyoming, US, where a jury ordered the company to pay $8m (£5.47m) to the family of a man on Paxil who killed himself and three members of his family. GSK is appealing against the judgement.

You may also like