Morning-after pill headed OTC?
TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: The morning after pill still isn’t available over the counter, but yesterday the FDA said it might allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B, as the pill is called. Ashley Milne-Tyte looks at what this could do for the company that makes it.
ASHLEY MILNE-TYTE: Plan B is already available via prescription. It brings in about $20 million a year for drug maker Barr Pharmaceuticals. With three million unplanned pregnancies a year there are plenty of potential buyers should the drug become more widely available.
Bridget Bailing is with The Tan Sheet, which covers the world of non-prescription drugs:
BRIDGET BAILING: “I think it remains to be seen how much of a marketing effort they put behind it because as of right now the company hasn’t done a whole lot to promote the drug, and everything you’ve heard about it has been in the news.”
Morningstar analyst Brian Laegeler says over the counter sales of Plan B could more than double its revenue. But that won’t do much to fire up investors.
BRIAN LAEGELER:“I think that somewhere around $50 million is probably reasonable . . . it’s an exciting development for the company but I don’t think it’ll have a huge material impact on the share price.”
Laegeler says compared to some of the company’s other drug lines, Plan B is a rather small player.
I’m Ashley Milne-Tyte for Marketplace.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
