NitroMed retrenches due to soft sales of its BiDil for African Americans
Because sales of BiDil (isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine HCl) have been disappointing, its maker, NitroMed, said it plans to stop marketing and promoting the product. The drug, designed to treat congestive heart failure in African Americans, is the first medication approved for use in a single racial population. The Lexington, Mass., firm is laying off most of its employees, but said the drug will still be available to patients. In addition, it will continue to develop a once-a-day formulation to improve on the existing dosing regimen of three times a day.
