Germany's Schwarz has invested heavily in its transition from a marketing organization into a development-based firm. Higher-than expected windfall revenues from generic omeprazole increase its chances of a successful transformation.

The notion of building up a new drug company with the unwanted, undersized products of ever-bigger Big Pharma is hardly new. But MedPointe, with its acquisition of Carter Wallace's medical products business, is aiming to build up a new firm faster and bigger than can be done simply by in-licensing.

FDA concluded that original formulation of brain hemorrhage treatment was not discontinued for safety or effectiveness reasons, saying Arbor had other options to reduce risk of confusion between the new and original formulations. But the sponsor argues that withdrawal was part of FDA-approved risk mitigation plan.