Pfizer to sell more generics

Pfizer Inc. will begin selling dozens more generic drugs through new deals with an Indian generic company, becoming the latest brand-name drug maker seeking to grow its market share in the growing generics market.

The company recently announced that it has reached agreements with Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. to produce and sell competitors' drugs that have lost patent protection in the United States and Europe. The deal includes 39 pills that will be sold in the United States, 20 of which will also be sold across Europe, and 12 injectable antibiotic medicines.

Pfizer isn't disclosing the names of the competitors' drugs it will target, but said the medications are for conditions that include heart disease and brain disorders.

“We're targeting, by 2013, to generate more than $1 billion in incremental sales for the company through portfolio expansion,” David Simmons, president and general manager of the established products unit, told the Associated Press.

 He said Pfizer also is considering how best to market all those off-patent drugs in emerging markets such as China, Russia, and India.