ICN Begins Sales of Hepatitis Drug in Spain

Costa Mesa drug maker ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday that sales of Rebetol capsules to treat the highly contagious and potentially fatal hepatitis C liver disease have begun in Spain.

ICN said in a press release that Schering-Plough Corp., which licenses ICN’s ribavirin antiviral drug as part of the treatment, expanded the European sales after launching the product last year in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The drug is approved for use in conjunction with Schering-Plough’s interferon injection.

Royalties from U.S. sales of Rebetol helped to give ICN record revenue and earnings for the first three months this year.

Schering-Plough also markets Rebetron, a combination therapy containing Rebetol and interferon, in the United States, Canada and Argentina.