Generic Drug Industry: Market Research Reports, Statistics and Analysis

Best-Selling Generic Drugs

Generic drugs took all of the top-10 spots for the most-prescribed drugs in the US last year, as ranked by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. Only three brand-name drugs ranked in the top 25, highlighting the strong foothold secured by generics.

Possibly further boosting future sales is the looming patent expiration of several of the pharmaceutical world’s star prescription brand-name drugs, for which generics are poised to claim sizeable market share. Top generic drugs to enter the market this year are expected to be Methylphenidate (an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug taking over from Concerta) and Levofloxacin (a copy of antibiotic Levaquin). In October 2011 Zyprexa, used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, will come off patent leaving the door open for generic Olanzapine. November 2011 will see a top selling drug in the US, Pfizer’s Lipitor used to treat cholesterol, come off patent; Lipitor represents annual profit from sales of $10 billion, reports the New York Times.

In March 2012, depression drug Lexapro will come off patent leaving room for generic Escitalopram. In the same month generic Quetiapine will be poised to compete with antipsychotic Seroquel. Clopidogrel, used to prevent blood clots and ward off strokes and heart attacks, will be able to take some of Plavix’s market share.

Other generics set to take over from brand-name drugs include:

• Fenofibrate based on the cholestrol drug Tricor
• Montelukast based on the asthma and allergy treatment Singulair
• Pioglitazone based on the diabetic drug Actos
• Valsartan based on the high blood pressure medication Diovan

 Major US Drug Patent Expiries (2011)

Source: IMS Health

Industry Leaders

BCC Research shows Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to hold just under 20% of the global generic drugs market, followed by Sandoz, which represents 10% of the market. In joint third place are Watson and Mylan, with 6% each. Together, Teva, Sandoz, Watson and Mylan hold a combined 40% share in the global market.

Market Outlook

The generic drug market is gaining increasing ground over brand-name pharmaceuticals, with the FDA reporting that generics account for more than 70% of prescription drugs in the US. The US market for generic drugs is forecast to show more than 10% CAGR reaching $54 billion in 2014. Japan is likely to see over 12% growth to exceed $9.5 billion in 2014, reports BCC.

Leading Associations

• International Pharmaceutical Federation www.fip.org
• International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations www.ifpma.org 
• World Drug Information Association www.diahome.org 
• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America www.phrma.org
• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) www.fda.gov
• European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations www.efpia.org
• European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association www.ephmra.org
• Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (India) http://cdsco.nic.in/