Expiring patents: the industry is shaking like this. New fibrillations from expiring patents for pharmaceutical industries, whether or not Big Pharma. In the NHS they "lick their mustaches", thinking of savings and their destination for the opening (or greater generosity) to innovative products. "We will reinvest in new drugs", is the watchword that is repeated in the parts of the Eur. Waiting to see what it will be, meanwhile here are the new data from the databases. And precisely: in 2008, 11 molecules will expire, which refer to as many as 88 products on the market. There are 22 companies (and related portfolios) affected by the deadline. And the savings that are calculated on an annual basis are certainly not insignificant: 407.237 million euros. The 11 active ingredients expiring in 2007 (as reported in «Il Sole-24 Ore Sanità» n. 38/2007) were already estimated to have allowed savings on an annual basis for the NHS of 443.895 million (239.909 in 2007). In short, the new "dish" will not be outdone. Also considering the therapeutic categories involved: calcium channel blockers (97.8 million savings), pump inhibitors (84.8), ACE inhibitors (75.9), statins (54.48), antibacterial (64.3), anti-androgens (18.7). Patent expirations: business losses Company Company Patent expirations '08 Patent expirations '08 Pfizer Italia Srl 87,768,798 Astrazeneca Spa 70,552,634 Sanofi-Aventis Spa 64,475,047 Malesci Spa Ist. pharmacobiological 34,845,337 Bracco Spa Div. farm. 25.542.984 Abbott Spa 24.897.464 Lab. Guidotti Spa 21.739.025 A. Menarini Ind. farm. reun. Srl 19,878,754 Bristol-Myers Squibb Srl 14,132,822 Errekappa euroterapici Spa 10,119,695 Polifarma Spa 9,813,143 Ist. Lusofarmaco d'Italia Spa 8,340,488 Novartis Farma Spa 4,377,108 Daiichi Sankyo Italia Spa 3,059,494 Wyeth Lederle Spa 2,437,507 Glaxosmithkline Spa 1,556,753 Italfarmaco Spa 1,533,168 Schwarz Pharma Spa 1,094,408 Firma Spa 1,072,938 Plough Spa 15 Hoechst Italia Spa 7 Total 407,237,590 Patents out: the molecules involved Ramipril Alfuzosin Amlodipine Venlafaxine To t. compl. Molecule Patent expirations '08 407.237.590 Therapeutic category Pravastatin Fluvastatin Omeprazole Sumatriptan Bicalutamide Clarithromycin Ondansetron 46.484.497 Statins 7.004.684 Statins 75.916.131 Ace inhibitors 696.766 Antiemetics and antinausea 64.377.38 0 Antibacterial 18.749.463 Antiandrogens 2.437.507 Antidepressant 859.987 Antimigraine 7.924.876 Hypertr. prostate 97,888,493 Calcium antagonists 84,897,805 Pump inhibitors Note: savings of 53,489,181 million euros are expected for statins alone. Il Sole 24 Ore Sanita' of 15/11/2007 N. 44 13-19 NOVEMBER 2007 p. 8
