ROME – At a time when cost savings are essential, in 2012 a big hand could come from equivalent drugs: scrolling through the list of expiring patents provided by Assogenerici, in fact, one can see how between those who have just lost coverage and those who they will lose it this year there are several 'Blockbusters' such as from Atorvastatin, which has been in first place in spending for years.
EXPIRED DRUGS. Precisely this last drug, whose patent actually expired last November and which will therefore be sold as a generic from 2012, is the one that could generate the greatest savings: according to the Osmed report, the cost of this drug is around 500 million euros (536 in 2009, a slight increase compared to previous years). Esomeprazole, one of the best-selling pump inhibitors, also keeps him company.
AND THOSE OUT OF EXPIRATION. Among the twenty drugs that will lose their patents this year, Assogenerici reports four 'blockbusters': the antihypertensives Irbesartan, currently in twentieth place in the spending ranking, and Valsartan, which instead is thirteenth, the antiasthmatic Montelukast and another newly generation, rabeprazole. In terms of the acceptance of equivalents and therefore of their share compared to 'branded' drugs, the Italian situation is variable: in the first 9 months of 2011, for example, the maximum penetration was achieved by generic Lansoprazole, at 55%, while the nitroglycerin stopped at 3%.
Friday, 06 January 2012 – TG1 online
