AstraZeneca files Seroquel XR for bipolar in EU

LONDON Feb 11 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) said on Monday it had filed Seroquel XR, an extended-release version of the original medicine designed for once-daily use, for approval in Europe as a treatment of bipolar disorder.

The application follows a similar request for marketing approval in the United States in January.

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker hopes to switch patients to the new form of the schizophrenia and bipolar medication, thereby protecting revenues for the product, which is facing the threat of generic competition. Worldwide sales of Seroquel were $4 billion last year. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler)