Expiry of 1.5 thousand medicine patents to generate wave of new generics: industry prepares for the future

The Brazilian pharmaceutical industry is ramping up investments to capitalize on a five-year window of opportunity to expand the production of generics and similars. By 2030, around 1,500 patents for active ingredients and industrial processes related to 1,000 medications will expire, allowing the production of versions at least 35% cheaper. These drugs cover 186 diseases, including cancer and diabetes, as well as antibiotics, analgesics, and anti-inflammatories. The potential for the industry is enormous: to increase by 20% the total of generics commercialized in the country, currently at 4,600. The data comes from the Brazilian Fine Chemical Industry Association (Abifina). The patents set to expire belong to 400 pharmaceutical companies, mostly American and European, such as Astrazeneca, Novartis, Takeda, Janssen, and Pfizer.