The pharmaceutical industry's landscape is significantly influenced by the strategic promotion of branded drugs to foster patient and physician loyalty, leveraging the established reputation of pharmaceutical companies to sway patients and physicians towards branded medications.
Advanced manufacturing technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and automation can enable Indian pharma sector to improve quality, enhance productivity and reduce costs, thus improving accessibility as well as affordability of generic medicines
America's reliance on China for drug ingredients has raised alarm bells in Congress. House committees will hold two hearings Tuesday on drug shortages and the US Food and Drug Administration's foreign inspection program, which has seen a large drop in visits to Chinese factories over the last few years, due in large part to the Covid pandemic.
Generic drugs are bioequivalent versions of brand-name medications, offering the same active ingredients, dosage, and intended use. Biosimilars, on the other hand, replicate complex biological drugs, providing a more affordable alternative to expensive biological therapies. Both generics and biosimilars are typically priced significantly lower than their brand-name counterparts, often resulting in substantial cost savings for patients and healthcare systems.
Even though doctors are currently required to prescribe generic drugs only, there are no penal provisions mentioned in the regulations issued in 2002 by the Indian Medical Council. The NMC regulations notified on August 2, stated that India's out-of-pocket spending on medications accounts for a major proportion of public spending on healthcare.
The Institute prefers to procure generic drugs and a testimony to the same is the fact that during the year 2022-23, the total drugs purchased by PGIMER comprised 88 per cent of generic drugs and only 12 per cent of the branded drugs
The drugmaker emerged from bankruptcy last year after winning court approval for a reorganisation plan that included a $1.7 billion settlement of the litigation.
AstraZeneca's exit follows those of AbbVie, maker of blockbuster arthritis drug Humira, and Teva, a leading manufacturer of generic drugs.
In recent months, unexpected demand spikes, manufacturing problems and tight ingredient supplies have contributed to shortages that stress patients, parents and doctors. For some drugs, such as stimulants that treat ADHD, several factors fueled a shortage and make it hard to predict when it will end. Shortages, particularly of generic drugs, have been a longstanding problem. The industry has consolidated and some manufacturers have little incentive to solve shortages because chegenerics generate thin profits.
Reforms will be biggest changes to EU's medical laws in 20 years. EU says new incentives system will improve access to medicines. Pharma industry warns it will invest and innovate elsewhere. The Commission proposes to cut the length of basic market exclusivity that drugmakers get before generics can enter the market to eight from 10 years. But it also offers a sweetener for companies: they get two more years of protection if they launch their new medicines in all 27 member states within two years.
Amazon sells a range of generic drugs through its pharmacy service. Some already cost as liitle as $1 for a 30-day supply, so the benefit of this new program will vary by customer. The program is limited to Amazon Prime customers.
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