ICN to Sell Prozac in Eastern Europe

ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it will start selling a licensed version of the antidepressant Prozac in the former Yugoslavia, citing improved business conditions there.

ICN also soon will start selling the drug in Russia after it receives approval from Russian health authorities, a spokeswoman for the drug and medical devices company said.

ICN licensed the drug, which it calls Flunirin, from Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly & Co.

It will make the drug at ICN’s Galenika plant in Belgrade. Lilly sells the drug under the name Prozac.

“The lifting of sanctions really allows us to accelerate our expansion plan in Eastern Europe,” ICN spokeswoman Jennifer Openshaw said.

U.N.-imposed sanctions banning exports to the former Yugoslavia were lifted in December.

ICN said it will boost its Russian sales force to 1,000 during the next two years.

About 50 people now work out of the recently opened Moscow sales office, Openshaw said.

The company said it has received $23 million in export orders from Russia and other Eastern European countries since the sanctions were lifted.