It was only June when Barr Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:BRL) reached a complex settlement with Bayer over the latter's oral contraceptive Yasmin, yet the drug's already proving to be a heavy hitter for the generics maker. The unorthodox agreement was worth it to put the drug in Barr's lineup.
As my Foolish colleague Brian Orelli noted, Barr gets to market Bayer's authorized generic version without fear of competition for at least 180 days -- probably longer, depending on when an appeal is ruled upon. The deal gives Barr a huge competitive edge over rivals Novartis (NYSE:NVS) and Watson Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:WPI), which are waiting on deck with generic versions of Yasmin
The results the generics maker released yesterday underscore how powerful those Yasmin sales are, and reveal one reason why rival Teva Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TEVA) is spending $7.5 billion to acquire Barr.
Barr originally expected to launch the generic Yasmin, called Ocella, beginning in July, after the close of the second quarter. This helps explain why it had provided earnings guidance that was below expectations at the end of the first quarter. However, Barr was able to kick off the launch a week or two early, booking some $40 million in sales and an additional $0.09 per share in earnings during that short window.
Yet Barr's strong earnings owed to more than just Yasmin. North American generics sales rose 15% to $340 million, and its proprietary Seasonique contraceptive continued to be well received. International sales also increased, but that was entirely due to currency exchange effects.
Undoubtedly, Teva realizes that getting hold of Barr's assets would give it an immediate leadership position in women's health-care products. Along with gaining entrance to Eastern Europe through Barr's Pliva subsidiary, Teva will have a massive 16% market share in the U.S. generics business, twice as much as its nearest rivals, Mylan (NYSE:MYL) and Novartis' Sandoz subsidiary.
That's a fearsome lineup worthy of the Hall of Fame.
