Pharma News
Teva increases its global position with acquisition of Ratiopharm
Generics are becoming an increasingly lucrative market with good prospects for the future. However, a report by US market data provider BCC Research shows that this is also a bit of an exclusive club. The top four global generics manufacturers in 2009 – Teva, Sandoz, Mylan and Watson – accounted for 40% of the world market.
The global generic medicines market
The global market for generic drugs was worth an estimated US$84 billion for 2009 and is expected to increase to a staggering US$168.7 billion by 2014.
Generics’ manufacturer Hospira merges with Javelin
On 22 June 2010, Hospira announced that it had successfully acquired 79% of the stock in Javelin Pharmaceutical’s. The merger agreement also allows for Hospira to exercise a ‘top-up’ option to increase its share ownership in Javelin, which, states Hospira, it fully intends to do.
Sanofi-aventis and Nichi-Iko announce joint venture for generics in Japan
Sanofi-aventis and Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Nichi-Iko) have announced that they have signed an agreement to establish a new joint venture, called sanofi-aventis Nichi-Iko KK, in order to develop a generic business in Japan.
Orchid acquires US generic sales and marketing company Karalex
On 10 June 2010, Indian-based generics manufacturer, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals (Orchid) announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Karalex Pharma, LLC, a US-based generic marketing and sales services company with headquarters in New Jersey, USA.
GSK acquires Argentine generics’ maker Laboratorios Phoenix
On 10 June 2010 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) acquired Laboratorios Phoenix, a leading Argentine pharmaceutical business, for approximately US$253 million. GSK will gain full ownership of Phoenix in a move to accelerate sales growth and further extend its pharmaceutical portfolio in Argentina and the Latin America region.
Abbott acquires Indian generics’ maker Piramal Healthcare
The US-based company, Abbott, agreed to buy the domestic unit of Piramal Healthcare, one of India’s biggest generics makers, for US$3.7 billion.
EGA welcomes MEPs decisions on falsified medicines and pharmacovigilance reports
On 27 April 2010, ENVI (The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety) of the European Parliament voted to adopt reports on both falsified medicines and pharmacovigilance. The measures included in these reports are intended to increase patients’ safety. This can only be good news for the generics sector, as this should result in increased consumer confidence and as a result encourage acceptance and increase sales of generics.
IMS Health Top 20 pharmaceutical companies 2009
The 2009 list of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies, ranked by IMS Health according to global prescription drug sales for the 12 months up to September 2009, shows that Teva, Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim scored better in percent change than Big Pharma in those months.
IMS Health, BCC: Generics sales continue to climb
Over the 12 months that ended September 2009, global sales of generics grew by 7.7%, up from 3.6 % the year before, IMS Health reported. This compares with the 5.7% growth seen within the overall global pharmaceutical universe in 2009.
