The cost of prescription medicines used by millions of people every day is about to plummet.The next 14 months will bring generic versions of seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs, including the top two: cholesterol fighter Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix.
The magnitude of this wave of expiring drugs patents is unprecedented. Between now and 2016, blockbusters with about $255 billion in global annual sales are set to go off patent...
Top drugs getting generic competition by September 2012 are taken by millions every day: Lipitor alone is taken by about 4.3 million Americans and Plavix by 1.4 million. Generic versions of big-selling drugs for blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, depression, high triglycerides, HIV and bipolar disorder also are coming by then.
...
[P]atients, along with businesses and taxpayers who help pay for prescription drugs through corporate and government prescription plans, collectively will save a small fortune. That's because generic drugs typically cost 20 percent to 80 percent less than the brand names.Doctors hope the lower prices will significantly reduce the number of people jeopardizing their health because they can't afford medicines they need.
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Drug prices to plummet in wave of expiring patents
Funny how that works, isn't it?
[Posted at 07/25/2011 06:19 AM by Justin Levine on Pharmaceutical Patents 
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