Reports
MSD-Chibret signs generics deal with French manufacturer
On 25 June 2010 Merck Sharp & Dohme-Chibret (MSD-Chibret) signed an agreement with subcontractor Fareva under an incentive set up by the strategic council of health industries (Csis) meeting, aimed at keeping pharmaceutical production in France.
Italy to scrap tender system to boost generic volumes
On 23 June 2010, the Italian Health Minister, Mr Ferruccio Fazio, announced that Italy has decided to scrap its plans to introduce a new tendering system for reimbursable off-patent medicines in favour of measures to boost generic volumes.
Opportunities arising from increased use of generics
Ensuring the sustainability of the generic medicines industry is one of the key elements in maintaining broad access to medicines for all. To meet increasing demand from more patients who are living longer and expecting an improved quality of life, generic medicines offer quality treatment at affordable prices.
Challenges facing generic manufacturers in Europe
There are many challenges that may limit the competitiveness and sustainability of the European generics sector. Costs and pricing, especially in light of recent cost-cutting exercises in many European countries, is seen as one of the most important. However, limitations on pre-empting patent expiry, increasingly stringent regulations and the effect of tendering also have an impact.
The role of generic medicines in Europe
The role of generic medicines has been to provide essential medicines that are both high quality and affordable throughout the EU. They have enabled increased access to medicines for patients and provided significant savings for EU healthcare systems.
The rising cost of health care in Europe
The ageing population and lifestyle changes bring an increased burden on health care and consequently an increase in costs. This growing cost of health care is unavoidable, and drug expenditure is forecast to increase by around 5% annually over the next 3–5 years. Increased use of generics could, however, help to offset some of this increase.
FirstWord report: Branded versus generic drugs in Latin America
In the FirstWord report Branded vs. Generic Drugs in Latin America published in February 2010, it is stated that on every border, across every frontier of Latin America, a revolution is underway. Prefaced by the groundbreaking Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984, the war for market share between generic and branded pharmaceuticals is rapidly unfolding in Latin American countries from Brazil and Mexico to Ecuador and Cuba.
Developing biobetters through evergreening is ‘high value’
As reported by Subita Srimal in Mehta Perspectives on 6 January 2010, investment in biologics-based medicine is gaining momentum as these drugs offer targeted therapy and often safer treatment options, higher returns on investment and slower erosion of market share post patent expiry compared to small molecule-based drugs.
Mehta BioPharma Outlook 2010: Emerging markets not as attractive as they seem
As reported by Scrip, the emerging markets may not be as lucrative as they are being made out to be, at least in the short-term, and are expected to attain critical size only by around 2014, according to a new study by Mehta Partners.
How easily will Big Pharma slip into generics ‘avatar’?
After years of warding off generics, large pharmaceutical companies are embracing generic drug manufacturers and vying for a share of the off-patent drugs business. Indian generic companies, once considered business pariahs, are the focus of plenty of action, Anju Ghangurde reports in Scrip News of 9 December 2009.
