In 2009, a total of 293 active ingredients entered the market in Italy, most of which are similar to drugs already present on the national market. Only 36 of these products, 12%, represent real novelties, i.e. new active ingredients or new combinations of drugs that were not previously found in our country. To verify the novelties present on the pharmaceutical market of the Peninsula is an article published in Dialogo sui medica, the bimonthly magazine of the Ulss 20 and of the Integrated University Hospital of Verona. Among the new entries, 24 drugs (67%) are indicated for pathologies to be treated in the area and the area of diabetes was the one most affected by new arrivals. For two antidiabetic associations (vildagiptin/metformin and sitagliptin/metformin), Aifa has activated the implementation of a prescription control system, usually adopted for hospital drugs. This system also makes it possible to monitor the adverse effects that have emerged during their use and has also been envisaged for aliskiren, a new drug for hypertension. There were 12 new medicines for hospital use that arrived in 2009, 33% of the total. And again, last year 34 molecules lost their patent (mainly for the cardiovascular system), now available as new equivalent drugs. The number of medicines that are no longer covered by patents is constantly increasing (19 in 2008 and 34 in 2009) and this potentially constitutes a source of savings for the NHS.
Pharmacist33 – 21 May 2010 – Year 6, Number 93
