TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 食藥署) announced on Monday (Aug. 19) that the blood pressure medication Aprovel 150mg film-coated tablets (安普諾維膜衣錠150毫克) and the antidepressant Prozac (百憂解) will gradually exit the Taiwan market starting in November.
FDA Deputy Director-General Wang Der-yuan (王德原) assured patients that alternative medications are available and domestic manufacturers will increase production to meet demand.
Wang revealed that Sanofi (賽諾菲公司), the producer of Aprovel, plans to cease supply and withdraw from Taiwan effective Jan. 1, 2025, due to considerations of production costs, operational efficiency, and profitability. The company notified the FDA in July.
Wang also indicated that Prozac stopped supply on June 24, and expects to completely exit the market by November. He emphasized that many alternative drugs with the same ingredients, dosage forms, and strengths are available to meet patient needs.
Wang stated both medicines have equivalent alternatives, which are domestically produced and can increase production as needed, ensuring no disruption in supply.
In 2023, Aprovel accounted for approximately 67% of the market with 12.37 million tablets reported to the health insurance administration. Prozac held a 15.3% market share with about 2.92 million tablets reported in the same year.