Chemotherapy Brands

Generic prescription folinic acid (5-formyltetrahydrofolate) used for methotrexate rescue in high-dose methotrexate chemotherapy, as a biochemical modulator of fluorouracil (5-FU) in colorectal cancer regimens including FOLFOX and FOLFIRI, and for treatment of megaloblastic anemia; originally developed by Lederle Laboratories in the 1940s and now manufactured by multiple pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer/Hospira, Teva, and Fresenius Kabi.

Sanofi's taxane chemotherapy (docetaxel), FDA approved in 1996 for breast cancer and later for lung, prostate, gastric, and head and neck cancers, that generated $1.4 billion annually by 2004 before generic competition and became subject to major litigation over undisclosed risk of permanent hair loss.