Drugs coming off patent
forbes.com
According to Datamonitor, a London-based research firm, the 57 blockbuster drugs currently on the market generated $116 billion in worldwide revenue last year. By 2008, 30 of these drugs--which currently gross over $60 billion--will have lost patent protection.
Among drugs facing patent expiry are Merck's (nyse: MRK - news - people ) cholesterol drug Zocor, which generated sales of over $5 billion in 2002, and Pfizer's nyse: PFE Zoloft, for depression, which had sales of $2.7 billion. Of Pfizer and Merck's total blockbuster arsenal at present, 56% of these drugs face patent expiration by 2008.
Other blockbusters facing patent extinction in three years, include Abbot Laboratories' (nyse: ABT - news - people ) Biaxin, an antibiotic, as well as GlaxoSmithKline's (nyse: GSK - news - people ) Paxil, for depression.
Some drug companies are safe, for now. Roche Holdings (otc: RHHBY - news - people ) and Biogen (nasdaq: BGEN - news - people ) both had only one blockbuster product on the market last year. Neither will lose their patent protection in the next five years. Other drugs like Merck's Singulair and Vioxx also have patent protection past 2008. |
