How to overcome the 'double-lock' barrier to entry for generic inhalers
• By Ijlal Syed
Generate a summary of this article
Listen to this article
In the pharmaceutical industry, a good opportunity is generally one that provides sustainable cash flows, is worth a significant amount of money and provides barriers against competition. The asthma and COPD market is one that meets these criteria and the race is on amongst branded generic (BGx) / generic (Gx) manufacturers to enter the market, which will be worth $24.5bn by 2020 in EU5 and US. In 2014, the leading products Advair (fluticasone+salmeterol) and Symbicort (budesonide+formoterol) generated $5.9bn and $2.9bn respectively. These products have sustained commercial success despite the active molecules being off-patent. The molecule patent for Advair either expired or was revoked in the US and 5EU markets in 2010. For Symbicort, the primary patent in the 5EU expired in 2012 and in the US in 2014.
In the pharmaceutical industry, a good opportunity is generally one that provides sustainable cash flows, is worth a significant amount of money and provides barriers against competition. The asthma and COPD market is one that meets these criteria and the race is on amongst branded generic (BGx) / generic (Gx) manufacturers to enter the market, which will be worth $24.5bn by 2020 in EU5 and US. In 2014, the leading products Advair (fluticasone+salmeterol) and Symbicort (budesonide+formoterol) generated $5.9bn and $2.9bn respectively. These products have sustained commercial success despite the active molecules being off-patent. The molecule patent for Advair either expired or was revoked in the US and 5EU markets in 2010. For Symbicort, the primary patent in the 5EU expired in 2012 and in the US in 2014.
Setting the scene
Keep up with the top pharma business news of the week. On the go.
Amgen’s Imdelltra for small-cell lung cancer is one of two bispecific T-cell engagers approved for solid tumors, but data at the WCLC meeting show other DLL3-targeting BiTEs may be on the way.
An academic study of GLP-1 agonist showed promise in patients with the painful skin condition but with no signs that the Danish drugmaker will pursue the indication, smaller players in the space may be interested.
Discontinuation of the AML study created concern about potential readthrough to a pivotal MDS trial, but the company and analysts pointed out differences in the diseases.
Pipelines in bioconjugates continue to develop, from ADCs to XDCs, with radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs) and antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) leading the expansion.
Interim results from the Phase III REMARK study presented at WCLC showed the Chinese company’s second-generation ALK/ROS1 inhibitor met its primary endpoint as a first-line therapy in ALK-positive advanced NSCLC.
![Spotlight On RDCs, AOCs As Leading Novel Bioconjugates[Updated]](https://web.insights.norstella-labs.com/resizer/v2/3M7ZAWZOBNK7NG4A4WDOIFG6DU.jpg?smart=true&auth=392a1fdb3cfacb29445720c412410e598dbcc5f90f14857652cd498bd0faa0fb&width=400&height=225)
