Novartis drops future blockbuster agomelatine
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Novartis has stopped development of agomelatine (AGO178) in major depressive disorder. The product had already been approved in the EU (where it is sold by Servier as Valdoxan) and US approval was expected to ensue in 2013, with peak sales of $2.6 billion for depression alone in the seven major markets predicted by Datamonitor analysts, who said it would become the highest-selling drug in the depression market.