Germany-based Sandoz has launched the generic oncology medicine, Gefitinib, indicated for treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with activating mutations of EGFR-TK, which is recommended by ESMO as first-line treatment, it was reported yesterday.

The product will be offered in 13 countries across Europe on the day the reference medicine loses market exclusivity. The company will continue to expand to other countries through a phased rollout.

Francesco Balestrieri, ad interim CEO, Sandoz, said, 'Generics help expand access to medicine, sometimes as much as doubling the amount of patients treated without any increase in cost. At Sandoz, we recognise that oncology still lags behind seven other therapeutic areas that already benefit from considerable generic competition. The day one launch of generic gefitinib, seen by oncology experts as an essential treatment [8], is part of a wider Sandoz effort to change that equation.'