Generics surge as patent expiry restores market pulse

Hundreds of generic brands have hit the market, sending drug volumes soaring 10x

- SOHINI DAS

Hundreds of generic brands have flooded the market after patents expired for key anti-diabetic and cardiac drugs in the past four to five years. These generic brands have not only enhanced patient access by making the drugs more affordable, but they have also driven up volumes.

An analysis by Pharmarack, a market research firm, showed that 226 vildagliptin (anti-diabetic) brands are now available in the market after Novartis' patent expired in December 2019. Similarly, 200 dapagliflozin brands have already been launched in the domestic market since the patent expiry in October 2020. Dapagliflozin was discovered by Bristol Myers Squibb and developed in partnership with AstraZeneca.