Reports
Efforts to bring drug prices down in Ireland
Ireland’s Health Services Executive (HSE), which provides public health and social care services to everyone living in Ireland, reports that the average price of a pack of medicine provided to patients through their community drugs schemes in 2013 decreased to its lowest level in a decade.
Medicare data shows savings to be made with generics use
Despite generics accounting for far more claims in the US Medicare system than brand-name drugs, the total costs for each drug still came in much lower than costlier but much less used brand-name drugs.
Asian generics makers to focus on market expansion
According to a report by researchers at Frost & Sullivan (F&S) the Asian generics market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17–18% between 2014 and 2018 [1].
The cost of specialty pharmaceuticals
Specialty pharmaceuticals, which include difficult-to-manufacture small-molecule chemical drugs and biologicals, account for approximately 25% of total prescription costs, with expenditures on specialty prescriptions expected to quadruple by 2020 [1]. In fact, the absence of competition upon patent expiration has enabled the cost of biological drugs to increase seemingly without a ceiling.
Pharmacist survey highlights increasing generics costs
A survey of pharmacists has once again highlighted the increasing cost of generics in the US.
European countries should collaborate to reduce drug prices
According to a study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 26 March 2015 transparency and cooperation help to reduce high prices for new medicines.
Physicians’ views on biosimilars labelling
On 23 March 2015, the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM), which represents patients and physicians, as well as originator biological and biosimilars companies in the US, released results of a survey, which showed that physicians ‘support transparent, clear labels with data that enables prescribers to learn about and evaluate the medicines available to their patients’ [1].
US biosimilars approvals expected to increase despite challenges
Biosimilar approvals in the US are expected to increase during the next five years, despite safety and regulatory challenges, according to a study from the Boston-based Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD).
Biosimilars will only be developed for blockbuster biologicals
A new report, published on 24 February 2015, by pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company Prime Therapeutics, suggests that only blockbuster biologicals in the US will be subject to biosimilar competition in the future.
Brazil looks to follow-on biological products to contain costs
Brazil’s Government is looking at measures to control the rising cost of healthcare. With increasing demand for life-saving biologicals the government is considering follow-on biological products as a more cost-effective option [1].
