The increasing pressure on physicians to prescribe generics rather than other patent-protected agents within the
same drug class presents a signifi cant threat to the pharmaceutical industry. This report, which features 34 fi gures,
presents detailed case studies of the effect of generics competition on four widely prescribed drug classes—
statins, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), bisphosphonates, and benign prostatic hyperplasia
therapies—in four major markets: the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Get the Answers You Need to Shape Your Strategy
A leading pharmacy benefi t management company (PBM) in the United States, calculated that, in 2007,
maximizing the use of generics could have saved its members a combined total of more than $20 billion from
13 leading drug classes. How did the launch of generic simvastatin impact other statins, including the
market leader? What effect have patent expirations had on prescribing patterns in other drug classes?
How have new drugs launched into drug classes subject to generics competition fared?
The French government has introduced numerous measures to stimulate the nation’s immature generics
market. To what extent have these reforms changed patterns of generic erosion in France? How have
French physicians responded to targets for generic penetration?
The German government has relied heavily on reference pricing and related measures to curb pharmaceutical
expenditures. How does recent history in the statin market demonstrate the hazards of defying reference
pricing? What effect do strict budgetary constraints have on German physicians’ prescribing behavior?
Generic drugs dominate the cost-conscious U.K. pharmaceutical market and continue to increase their market
share. What local measures are used to maximize the use of generics? How have government policies
and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence contributed to the growth of generics?
How have new drugs fared in markets already subject to generics competition?
Scope
Major markets: United States; France; Germany; United Kingdom; international trends.
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