Biotech, Drugs, Bipolar Disorder
FDA OKs Risperdal Consta for Bipolar
Luke Timmerman 5/18/09
Alkermes, the Cambridge, MA-based developer of technology to make longer-lasting drugs, said today the FDA has approved risperidone (Risperdal Consta) as a treatment for bipolar disorder. The medicine, first approved in 2003 as a long-acting drug for schizophrenia, is marketed by Johnson & Johnson using technology from Alkermes (NASDAQ: ALKS). Before today’s approval, the medicine was already Alkermes’ biggest product, and has turned it into a consistently profitable company.
Luke Timmerman is the National Biotechnology Editor for Xconomy. You can e-mail him at ltimmerman@xconomy.com, call 206-624-2374, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ldtimmerman.
