BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Prozac users may be able to pick up the prescription antidepressant for less money. The drugmaker's patent expires at midnight tonight, and other pharmaceutical companies are lining up to produce generic versions. CNN medical correspondent Rea Blakey up in Washington joining us for this and Rea, what does it mean for consumers if indeed this goes the way it's expected?</s>REA BLAKEY, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Bill, this document in my hand, a letter from the FDA to Barr Laboratories, is like gold not only to Barr Laboratories but also to consumers who could stand to save some $3 billion over the next three years, that according to Generic Pharmaceutical Association and their predictions. Basically one pill of Prozac costs $2.50 today. A year from now it could be as cheap as a quarter, that would be for 20 the milligram variety. And so it could be a serious boon for consumers, particularly those who are on Prozac.</s>HEMMER: When will it be available. Rea? What is the indication?</s>BLAKEY: Barr Laboratories already has orders for some 995 million pills. They are shipping 100 million pills today. As you see here production is at full speed and we anticipate that this will basically be on the market nationwide, available nationwide next week, quite frankly.</s>HEMMER: And indeed this is coming about because the patent is about to expire. Are there other significant popular drugs in a similar situation right now?</s>BLAKEY: The next big drug is the nation's largest seller, prilosec, used basically as an ulcer drug for GRD, Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease. Quite frankly, that drug stands to have its patent expire in October of this year. There is obviously a court battle already underway, but it's very likely that a generic for prilosec could be on the in the market a year from October. So it's moving very quickly.</s>HEMMER: Something to watch, and we will. Rea Blakey, live in Washington. Thank you very much.
Prozac Patent to Peter Out