Generics/Research

Free prescriptions do not always increase use of generics

Generics/Research | Posted 12/10/2018

One strategy to increase the use of generics is to offer them free of charge. This strategy presumes that this will shift demand away from expensive brand-name drugs and produce savings for insurers and customers alike. In order to test this theory, researchers from the University of Maryland studied co-payment data from Medicare recipients^# to see if offering zero generic co-pays for oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) and statins increased generics use among low-income subsidy (LIS) patients with diabetes.

Limited distribution networks found to be anticompetitive

Generics/Research | Posted 05/10/2018

Limited distribution networks, whereby a drug manufacturer has a contract with one or a small number of distributors, suppress competition in both the generic and biosimilar drug markets. This leads to high costs for both payers and patients, according to a recent US review [1].

Generic hepatitis drug effective in patients with or without HIV

Generics/Research | Posted 28/09/2018

Over 3% of people with hepatitis C infections also have HIV. A new study conducted in Taiwan shows that generic versions of the hepatitis C treatment Epclusa are equally effective in patients with and without HIV co-infection [1].

Factors influencing the use of trade and generic names

Generics/Research | Posted 21/09/2018

Using trade names for drugs in clinical practice has been shown to increase the use of brand-name drugs. Despite efforts by academic medical centres to teach generic drug names and discourage the use of trade names to reduce bias and contain costs, usage of trade names persists. In order to determine what factors might influence healthcare professionals to prescribe by brand-name or generic name, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine carried out an analysis of medication pages [1].

Hospital use of generic drugs increases adoption by community pharmacies

Generics/Research | Posted 14/09/2018

A recent Japanese study reveals that hospital adoption of generic drugs can also promote their use by community pharmacies. The researchers found that hospital adoption of generic drugs increased community pharmacy dispensation by almost 10% in only a year, reducing overall medical costs [1].

Product recalls increase with increasing generics competition

Generics/Research | Posted 24/08/2018

Generics price competition may lead to relaxed manufacturing standards and ultimately lower quality products, according to a study carried out by researchers from three US universities.

Patient sociodemographics and use of generics

Generics/Research | Posted 20/07/2018

Researchers from the US have found that poorer patients are more likely to use generics [1].

Generic sofosbuvir and daclatasvir bioequivalent to originators

Generics/Research | Posted 13/07/2018

With the aim of eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) by 2030, some originator pharmaceutical companies have granted voluntary licences to generics companies to mass produce the direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) sofosbuvir and daclatasvir at low cost. In order to achieve this, generics makers need to demonstrate bioequivalent pharmacokinetics for their DAAs, compared to the originators. Therefore, researchers carried out a study to determine whether generics of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir had bioequivalent pharmacokinetics to the originators [1].

Generic clopidogrel non-inferior to Plavix in acute coronary syndrome

Generics/Research | Posted 29/06/2018

A team of Canadian researchers have concluded that generic clopidogrel is non-inferior to the originator drug, Plavix (clopidogrel), in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome [1]

Doctors’ perceptions of generics in Guadeloupe and Martinique

Generics/Research | Posted 15/06/2018

Doctors in Guadeloupe and Martinique are not hostile towards generics but still mostly prescribe brand-name drugs due to patient preferences, according to a study analysing the perceptions of doctors towards generics in the French speaking territories [1].

Generics market failures and non-profit manufacturing

Generics/Research | Posted 08/06/2018

Competition usually keeps the price of generics well below that of brand-name drugs. However, when there is little or no competition, generics makers can substantially increase prices, which may lead to drug shortages. One way to address such market failures could be to introduce a non-profit generics maker to the market, according to researchers from Intermountain Healthcare, the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health [1].

Antitrust activities in the pharmaceutical industry

Generics/Research | Posted 01/06/2018

High prices of prescription drugs have been highlighted as reducing access to essential drugs and have recently gained notoriety and political attention. Authors from Harvard Medical School and the law schools of the Northeastern and Rutgers Universities explain the role of antitrust law in restoring competition and restraining price increases [1].

Encouraging generics could cause high prices

Generics/Research | Posted 25/05/2018

A provision introduced in October 2017 awards eligible drugmakers 180 days of exclusivity to market a generic version of one of a list of 267 medicines for which no generic version currently exists. The provision was introduced to encourage generics of off-patent drugs without generics, however, some believe it could lead to high prices [1].

Trends in use of Lipitor after introduction of generic atorvastatin

Generics/Research | Posted 04/05/2018

Big savings can be made after the introduction of generics, especially when it comes to high volume categories, such as statins. Pfizer’s Lipitor (atorvastatin) was the best-selling drug of all time until it lost its patent protection at the end of June 2011 [1] and a generic version became available in the US in November 2011 [2]. However, the impact of the introduction of generics on use of Lipitor is not known. Therefore, researchers from Duke and Yale Universities analysed trends in use and expenditures associated with Lipitor after generic atorvastatin became available [3].

Switchback rates between generic and brand-name drugs

Generics/Research | Posted 20/04/2018

A study carried out by researchers from Harvard Medical School found a lower rate of switchback when patients were switched to an authorized generic from the brand-name product rather than when they were switched to another generic drug product [1].

Portugal increases use of generics for treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Generics/Research | Posted 06/04/2018

In Portugal, the use of medicines for cardiovascular system increased nearly two-fold between 2000 and 2010. As such, over a quarter of the overall expenditure on medicines during these years went towards the treatment of cardiovascular issues [1]. However, it is possible that there may be room for cost saving on these medicines through increased uptake of generic and essential medicines. A recent study by Gama et al. has outlined the trends in outpatient cardiovascular medicine use in Portugal between 2004 and 2012, with focus on the uptake of generic and essential medicines [2].

Pharmaceuticals and products liability litigation

Generics/Research | Posted 30/03/2018

In 2016, healthcare spending represented 17.9% of the economy of the US, a slight increase from 2015. By 2016, the average consumer in the US expended US$1,100 per capita on prescription drugs. Authors Katie McCarthy and Richard Hunter discuss the interconnections between the different types of product liability claims related to marketing and manufacturing of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, rising drug costs, the increasing availability of generics in the marketplace. They also discuss several major cases and the outcomes of those cases as they relate to the social responsibility of drug manufacturers [1].

Portugal saves money with increased use of cardiovascular generics

Generics/Research | Posted 23/03/2018

Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of mortality worldwide [1-3], accounting for over 30% of all deaths. However, in the last few decades, the number of deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases in higher-income countries has been on the decline. This is thought to be largely due to improved and increased healthcare interventions, according to Gama et al. [4].

Barriers to HIV generics in the US

Generics/Research | Posted 16/03/2018

Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically improved survival rates among people with HIV and is a mainstay of HIV prevention. Generic ART medications offer the potential for treating and preventing HIV at a lower cost [1].

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