The drugs maker Indivior has launched a generic version of its blockbuster Suboxone Film opioid addiction drug in the United States.
The move came a day after the US Supreme Court had cleared the way for Indivior’s rivals to market their own copycat versions of the drug, in a victory for the India-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, which previously had been blocked from doing so.
It is rare but not unheard of for drug manufacturers to create generic versions of their own branded products. In 2016 Mylan began selling the first generic version of its Epipen allergy autoinjector after a backlash over the product’s price.
Indivior said that the launch of an authorised generic might prompt other companies to make their own cheaper versions. The company