The relaunch forms part of Pfizer's gameplan to boost its market share in the country and is in line with its strategy to emerge as the top pharmaceutical company within a three-year time-frame.

Pfizer's official spokesperson confirmed the relaunch plans in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat and said that the total cost of therapy per adult was Rs 233. Zithromax (now Vicon in India) is an innovative azalide antibiotic effective for the treatment of respiratory and skin infections. It is available in two strengths: a strip of six 250 mg tablets and three 500 mg tablets.

Sources say that the cost of per tablet ofVicon is roughly around Rs 39, as against a price of Rs 99 prior to its withdrawal. Competing brands Azithral (Alembic) and Aziwok (Wockhardt) are priced at approximately Rs 24 and Rs 25 per tablet.

Industry experts say that the new name was apparently aimed at protecting the multinational's patented, global "Zithromax" brand by checking "suitcase exports" of the Indian version at lower prices. No official confirmation on this was, however, available. Zithromax, a $619 million brand in 1996, has been the number one antibiotic in Italian and Finnish markets.

Vicon sales in the country are expected to scale Rs 40 crore within three years, though experts add that the absence of patent protection had contributed to the compression of the shape and size of the market. This is the second relaunch by Pfizer, backed by aggressive pricing strategies, in the recent past. The company had earlier reintroduced its cardiovascular brand -- Amlogard -- at a discount of 77 per cent to its original cost of Rs 26.2 pertablet, by reworking its sourcing strategy.

Notably, Pfizer uses the brand name Norvasc for its global amlodipine drug, while the Indian version is called Amlogard. In 1997, Norvasc sales were $2.3 billion. Amlogard, as per industry estimates, has already notched up sales of about Rs 5 crore, post relaunch, and is expected to emerge as a Rs 25-crore brand in the next few years.

Meanwhile, sources said that Pfizer may even examine the feasibility of introducing cardiovascular drug, Cardura, and anti-diabetes brand, Glucotrol XL, in the country. Though the launch schedules could not be ascertained, also on the cards could be the launch of a combination version of recently discontinued anthelmintic brand, Combantrin, though no official confirmation was available.