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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

The information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is not complete and may be changed. This prospectus supplement is not an offer to sell these securities and are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where such offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED DECEMBER 13, 2010


Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-162318

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated November 20, 2009)

                        Shares

GRAPHIC

Common Stock
$[            ] Per Share

        This is a public offering of common stock, par value $.001 per share, of Lannett Company, Inc. at a price per share of $ [            ] . We are offering                                    shares of our common stock and the selling stockholder identified in this prospectus supplement is offering an additional                                    shares of our common stock at a price per share of $ [            ] . We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares by the selling stockholder.

        Our common stock is traded on the NYSE AMEX under the symbol "LCI." On December 13, 2010, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE AMEX was $5.87 per share.

         Investing in our common stock involves risks. See the "Risk Factors" section on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2010, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.



       
 
 
  Per Share
  Total
 

Public offering price

  $[            ]   $[            ]
 

Underwriting discount

  $[            ]   $[            ]
 

Offering proceeds to us, before expenses

  $[            ]   $[            ]
 

Offering proceeds to selling stockholder, before expenses

  $[            ]   $[            ]

 

        The Company has granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to                        additional shares of our common stock on the same terms and conditions set forth above to cover over-allotments, if any.

        The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of common stock to purchasers on or about December  [    ] , 2010.



Joint Book-Running Managers

Oppenheimer & Co.   Roth Capital Partners

Co-Managers

Stonegate Securities   Emerging Growth Equities



The date of this prospectus supplement is December     , 2010.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 
  Page

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

  S-3

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

  S-3

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

  S-4

RISK FACTORS

  S-6

USE OF PROCEEDS

  S-6

CAPITALIZATION

  S-7

DILUTION

  S-8

SELLING STOCKHOLDER

  S-9

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

  S-9

UNDERWRITING

  S-10

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

  S-13

LEGAL MATTERS

  S-14

EXPERTS

  S-14

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING ANNUAL MEETING

  S-14

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

  S-14

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

  S-14

Prospectus

 

Page  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

  2

SUMMARY

  3

RISK FACTORS

  4

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

  4

USE OF PROCEEDS

  5

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES TO BE OFFERED

  5

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

  18

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

  19

LEGAL MATTERS

  21

EXPERTS

  21

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

  21

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

  22

         You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Offers to sell, and solicitations of offers to buy, shares of our common stock are being made only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is current as of the respective dates such information is presented. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

         Market data and industry statistics used in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Neither we nor the underwriters have independently verified, and neither we nor the underwriters guarantee, the accuracy of any of this information. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on this information.

S-1


         Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, in this prospectus supplement:

    "Lannett," the "Company," "we," "us" and "our" refer to Lannett Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries; and

    the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option.

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").

        Any statements made in this prospectus supplement that are not statements of historical fact or that refer to estimated or anticipated future events are forward-looking statements. We have based our forward-looking statements on our management's beliefs and assumptions based on information available to them at this time. Such forward-looking statements reflect our current perspective of our business, future performance, existing trends and information as of the date of this prospectus supplement. These include, but are not limited to, our beliefs about future revenue and expense levels and growth rates, prospects related to our strategic initiatives and business strategies, express or implied assumptions about government regulatory action or inaction, anticipated product approvals and launches, business initiatives and product development activities, assessments related to clinical trial results, product performance and competitive environment, and anticipated financial performance. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," "continue," or "pursue," or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. We caution you that certain important factors may affect our actual operating results and could cause such results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements.

        We disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. We also may make additional disclosures in filings that we may make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

        We provide information to you about this offering in two separate documents. The first part is a prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering of our shares of common stock. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which contains and incorporates by reference important business and financial information about us and other information about the offering. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a "shelf" registration statement on Form S-3, Registration Number 333-162318, filed on October 2, 2009, subsequently amended on October 22, 2009 and November 6, 2009, and declared effective on November 20, 2009. Since the accompanying prospectus provides general information about us, some of the information may not apply to this offering. This prospectus supplement describes the specific details regarding this offering. Generally, when we refer to the "prospectus," we are referring to both documents combined. Additional information is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any information incorporated by reference before you make any investment decision.

S-3


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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

        This summary highlights selected information related to our business. Since it is a summary, this section may not contain all the information that you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should carefully read the entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Exchange Act incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.

Our Company

        Lannett Company, Inc. (the "Company," "Lannett," "we," or "us") was incorporated in 1942 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and reincorporated in 1991 as a Delaware corporation. We develop, manufacture, market and distribute generic versions of branded pharmaceutical products. We report financial information on a quarterly and fiscal year basis with the most recent being the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 and the quarterly period ended September 30, 2010. All references herein to a "fiscal year" or "Fiscal" refer to the applicable fiscal year ending June 30.

        According to data reported by IMS Health in August 2010, we are currently among the top 20 companies, based on number of prescription transactions, for unbranded generic products in the United States. We intend to grow our business organically as well as through strategic partnerships. Additionally, our Levothyroxine Sodium tablets ("Levo") were recognized by IMS Health as the 18th most prescribed pharmaceutical product, including both branded and generic products, in the U.S. over the past year, reaching approximately 23 million prescriptions through June 2010. This product line represents approximately 0.6% of the domestic prescription market. Over the last year, we have experienced a 6% growth in prescriptions for our products. In addition, Levo has experienced a 11% annual growth during that period.

        Over the past five years, we have experienced a 95% growth in our revenues from approximately $64 million in fiscal year 2006 to over $125 million in fiscal year 2010. This rapid growth has been achieved primarily through strategic partnerships and opportunities resulting from certain difficulties that a number of our competitors have experienced with regulatory compliance issues.

        Our executive offices are located at 9000 State Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136. Our telephone number is (215) 333-9000. We maintain a website at www.lannett.com. We make available on or through our website our current and periodic reports, including any amendments to those reports, that are filed with the SEC in accordance with the Exchange Act. These reports include annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports. This information is available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The contents of our website are not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and shall not be deemed "filed" under the Exchange Act.

The Offering

Common stock offered by us

                                       shares

Common stock offered by the selling stockholder

 

                                     shares

Offering price per share

 

$[            ]

Common stock outstanding prior to this offering

 

25,080,233 shares

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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering

 

                                     shares

Use of proceeds

 

We intend to use any proceeds from this offering received by us for general corporate purposes. Please refer to the section entitled "Use of Proceeds" for additional information.

Risk Factors

 

Before investing in our common stock, you should carefully read and consider the information set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2010, our Quarterly Reports filed on Form 10-Q and other filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.

Listing

 

Our common stock currently trades on NYSE-AMEX under the ticker symbol "LCI."

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering as shown above assumes that all of the shares offered hereby are sold and is based on 25,080,233 shares of common stock outstanding as of December 10, 2010. This number of shares does not include                 shares of our common stock subject to the underwriters' over-allotment option and also excludes the following:

    [                        ] shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of December [    ] , 2010, at a weighted average exercise price of $ [            ] ; and

    [                        ] shares of our common stock available for future awards pursuant to our long-term incentive plan as of December  [    ] , 2010.

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RISK FACTORS

         Investing in our securities involves risks. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should carefully consider and evaluate the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and in the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement before you decide to purchase our securities. In particular, you should carefully consider and evaluate the risks and uncertainties described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, any amendment or update thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, and all other annual, quarterly and other reports that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that also are incorporated herein by reference. If any of the risks or uncertainties described therein actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be seriously harmed. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also affect our business operations and prospects and could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.


USE OF PROCEEDS

        We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of shares by us in this offering will be approximately $ [                        ]  million, after deducting the estimated offering expenses payable by us. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholder.

        We intend to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering for general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses, manufacturing expenses, potential acquisitions of companies, technologies and properties that complement our business (although we are not currently party to any binding agreements or commitments with respect to any such acquisitions) and working capital. Pending these uses described above, we expect to invest our net proceeds in investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.

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CAPITALIZATION

        The following table sets forth our capitalization as of September 30, 2010:

    on an actual basis; and

    an as adjusted basis to give effect to the sale of the                        shares of common stock offered by us in this offering at the public offering price of $ [            ] per share, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 
  As of September 30, 2010  
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
  Actual   Adjusted  

Common stock—authorized 50,000,000 shares, par value $0.001; issued and outstanding, 24,929,131 shares

    24,929     [             ]

Additional paid in capital

    80,410,648     [             ]

Retained earnings

    9,161,071     [             ]

Noncontrolling interest

    121,421     [             ]

Accumulated other comprehensive income

    52,588     [             ]

    89,770,657     [             ]

Less: Treasury stock at cost—130,118 shares

    (736,659 )   [             ]
 

Total Stockholders' Equity

    89,033,998     [             ]
   

Total Capitalization

    89,033,998     [             ]

        The information above excludes the following:

    2,058,851 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at a weighted average exercise price of $7.44 per share; and

    shares subject to the underwriters' over-allotment option.

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DILUTION

        If you invest in our common stock, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after the completion of this offering. Dilution results from the fact that the per share offering price of the common stock is substantially in excess of the book value per share attributable to the existing stockholders for the presently outstanding stock.

        As of September 30, 2010, our net tangible book value was approximately $ [            ] million, or approximately $ [            ] per share. Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of total tangible assets less our total liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding. After giving effect to the sale of the                                    shares of common stock offered by us in this offering at the public offering price of $ [                        ] per share, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2010 would have been approximately $ [            ] million, or $ [            ] per share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value from this offering of $ [            ] per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $ [                        ] per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering.

        The following table illustrates this dilution to new investors on a per share basis:

Public offering price per share

        $ [             ]
 

Net tangible book value per share before this offering

    [             ]      
 

Impact on net tangible book value per share of this offering

    [             ]      

As adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering

          [             ]
             

Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors

        $ [             ]
             

        The above discussion and tables are based on 24,929,131 shares of common stock outstanding on September 30, 2010, and excludes:

    2,058,851 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at a weighted average exercise price of $7.44 per share;

    The overallotment option granted to the underwriters.

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SELLING STOCKHOLDER

        We have included                                    shares owned by the selling stockholder in this prospectus supplement. We have agreed to pay the fees and expenses of the registration of the shares of the selling stockholder.

Name
  Number of Shares
of Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
Before the Offering
  Percent of
Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
Before the Offering(1)
  Maximum
Number of
Shares of Common
Stock Offered
  Number of Shares
of Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
After the Offering
  Percent of
Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
After the Offering
 

William Farber(2)

    8,162,487     32.55 %                 %

(1)
Based on 25,080,233 shares of common stock outstanding as of December 10, 2010.

(2)
William Farber has been the Chairman of our Board of Directors since August 1991.


PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

        As required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum commission or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker-dealer may not be greater than 8% of the gross proceeds received by us for the sale of any securities being registered pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. For additional information regarding the methods of sale and distribution, please see the "Plan of Distribution" section of the accompanying prospectus.

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UNDERWRITING

        We and the selling stockholder have entered into an underwriting agreement with the underwriters named below. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC, are acting as co-book running managers and representatives of the underwriters.

        The underwriting agreement provides for the purchase of a specific number of shares of common stock by each of the underwriters. The underwriters' obligations are several, which means that each underwriter is required to purchase a specified number of shares, but is not responsible for the commitment of any other underwriter to purchase shares.

        Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase the number of shares of common stock set forth opposite its name below:

Underwriters
  Number of Shares  

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 

       

Roth Capital Partners, LLC. 

       

Stonegate Securities, Inc. 

       

Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd. 

       

Total

       
       

        The underwriters have agreed to purchase all of the shares offered by this prospectus supplement (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if any are purchased.

        The shares should be ready for delivery on or about                ,        against payment in immediately available funds. The underwriters are offering the shares subject to various conditions and may reject all or part of any order. The representatives have advised us and the selling stockholder that the underwriters propose to offer the shares directly to the public at the public offering price that appears on the cover page of this prospectus supplement. In addition, the representatives may offer some of the shares to other securities dealers at such price less a concession of $[            ] per share. The underwriters may also allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession not in excess of $[            ] per share to other dealers. After the shares are released for sale to the public, the representatives may change the offering price and other selling terms at various times.

        We have granted the underwriters an over-allotment option. This option, which is exercisable for up to 30 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, permits the underwriters to purchase a maximum of                        additional shares from us to cover overallotments.

        If the underwriters exercise all or part of this option, they will purchase shares covered by the option at the initial public offering price that appears on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, less the underwriting discount. If this option is exercised in full, the total price to public will be $            , the total proceeds to us will be $            . The underwriters have severally agreed that, to the extent the over-allotment option is exercised, they will each purchase a number of additional shares proportionate to the underwriter's initial amount reflected in the foregoing table.

        The following table provides information regarding the amount of the discount to be paid to the underwriters by us and the selling stockholder:

 
  Per Share   Total Without Exercise of
Over-Allotment Option
  Total With Full Exercise of
Over-Allotment Option
 

Lannett Company, Inc. 

  $     $     $    

Selling stockholder

  $     $     $    

Total

  $     $     $    

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