Generic drugs are created to offer lower-cost alternatives to more expensive brand-name drugs.
Brand-name drugmakers are given periods of patent exclusivity, allowing them to sell their higher-priced drugs before generic competition is introduced. This year, 41 brand-name drugs are slated to face generic competition if the brand-name drugmakers don't win patent extensions in court.
Below is a list of the brand-name products expected to lose patent exclusivity, according to OptumRx's generic pipeline forecast. The list includes the drug, its brand-name manufacturer and the drug's approved use.
- Absorica (Sun Pharmaceutical) is used to treat severe acne.
- Aptivus (Boehringer Ingelheim) is used to treat HIV infection.
- Atripla (Gilead/Bristol-Myers Squibb) is used to treat HIV.
- BiDil (Arbor) is used to treat heart failure.
- Byetta (Astrazeneca) is used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
- Ciprodex (Alcon) is an antibiotic that treats ear infections.
- Daliresp (AstraZeneca) is used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Denavir (Mylan) is used to treat cold sores.
- Depo-SubQ provera (Pfizer) is a birth control drug.
- Dexilant (Takeda) is used to treat stomach and esophagus problems.
- Doryx MPC (Mayne) is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections.
- Dulera (Merck) is used to treat asthma.
- Durezol (Alcon) is a steroid used to treat eye irritation and inflammation.
- Eligard (QLT/Tolmar) is used to treat advanced prostate cancer.
- Enbrel (Amgen) is used to treat arthritis.
- Entereg (Merck) is used to restore bowel function after bowel surgery.
- Epiduo Forte (Galderma) is used to treat acne.
- Kuvan (BioMarin) is used to treat high blood levels of phenylalanine in adults and children with a certain genetic disorder.
- Marqibo (Talon Therapeutics/Spectrum) is used to treat a rare type of leukemia.
- Moxeza (Alcon) is used to treat eye infections.
- Mycamine (Astellas) is used to fight infections caused by fungus.
- Mydayis (Shire) is used to treat ADHD.
- Nymalize (Arbor) is used to reduce brain damage caused by a brain bleed.
- Ofirmev (Mallinckrodt) is a painkiller used to treat minor aches and pains and reduce fever.
- Pegasys (Roche) is used to treat hepatitis B or C.
- Peg-Intron (Merck) is used to treat chronic hepatitis C.
- Renova (Bausch Health) is an acne treatment.
- Risperdal Consta (Janssen) is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- Saphris (Allergan) is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- Silenor (Currax) is used to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.
- Syndros (Insys Therapeutics) is used to treat or prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer drugs.
- Synera (Galen) is an anesthetic patch.
- Taytulla (Allergan) is a birth control pill.
- Tirosint (IBSA Institut Biochimique) is used to treat hypothyroidism.
- Totect (Cumberland) is used to prevent heart problems for women with breast cancer.
- Toviaz (Pfizer) is used to treat overactive bladder symptoms.
- Truvada (Gilead) is used to treat HIV.
- Tykerb (Novartis) is used to treat breast cancer.
- Velphoro (Fresenius) is used to control phosphorus levels in chronic kidney disease patients.
- Xolegel (Almirall) is a gel used to treat dermatitis.
- Zortress (Novartis) is used to prevent organ rejection after a kidney or liver transplant.