$89 Billion in Branded Prescription Sales at Risk for Generic Competition By 2014

Generic drugs account for more than 70% of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. and that figure is expected to grow as brand drugs come off patent and face generic competition.

Generic drugs account for more than 70% of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. and that figure is expected to grow as brand drugs come off patent and face generic competition.

The U.S. represents 41% of the global generics market, but significant growth is expected for generic products in the rest of the world during the next few years as U.S.-based pharma companies look to expand their competitive presence abroad with both generic and branded products.

Experts predict that the European generics market will grow at twice the rate of the branded pharmaceutical sector in that region during the next five years. The world's second-largest pharma market, Japan, generates worldwide pharmaceutical sales of about $64.5 billion. However, only 6.6% of the nation's prescription drug sales are accounted for by generics. In addition, a reported 40% of pharma products available in Japan are off-patent and thus subject to generic competition.

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