NEW YORK, April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Forest Laboratories, Inc.
(NYSE: FRX), announced today that it had received notification from Alphapharm
Pty. Ltd. that it has filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with a
Paragraph IV Certification for a generic equivalent to Lexapro(R).
Howard Solomon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, "We believe our
patents on Lexapro are valid and strong patents and we therefore do not expect
a generic product to be available until at least after the expiration of our
substance patent, including patent extension, which will be in 2011. The
early filing of ANDAs against well patented products by generic companies has
become standard practice."
Except for the historical information contained herein, this release
contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that affect our business, including risk factors listed from
time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 and Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2003, September 30, 2003,
and December 31, 2003. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected.