Generics swoop as Viagra patent expires
Global drug companies Actavis and Teva both launched generic versions of Viagra immediately after its patent expired in several European countries last week.
The patent directed to sildenafil, the compound found in Viagra, expired on Friday, prompting speculation that about 20 manufacturers are planning to market their own versions of the chemical.
Swiss-based Actavis is now selling 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg sildenafil tablets in 11 European markets, including France, Germany and the UK. It first launched the tablets in Bulgaria in 2009, and has since entered other patent-free markets such as Iceland.
Israeli rival Teva has targeted nine European countries with its generic tablets, adding to Spain and Canada, where it already sells generic versions of Viagra .
“The launch today of sildenafil will bring choice to the pharmacy to help them serve the patient, and to help ensure that high-quality healthcare in Europe is affordable,” said Dipankar Bhattacharjee, president and CEO Europe generics at Teva, in a statement published on Monday.
The companies will seek to eat into Viagra’s lucrative market share, which was worth €382.2 million in Europe for the 12 months ending March 31, 2013, and about $2 billion worldwide last year. However, Pfizer will continue selling its product as branded Viagra.
In the UK, where Viagra retails for about £17-24 for a packet of four pills, the price is expected to fall as a result of increased competition, according to a spokesman for the British Generic Manufacturers Association.
In the past 12 months, the spokesman said, nearly two million prescriptions for Viagra have been written – about a fifth of them privately, in part due to reimbursement restrictions by the National Health Service (NHS).
“Therefore, this is potentially a substantial market and we would expect many companies to launch generic versions when the patent expires. Generic competition could see the price erode by as much as 90 percent, providing significant cost savings to the NHS and wider availability to patients.”
He added: “In the private market, patients can also expect to see a cost reduction, although they may need to shop around to achieve the optimum price. In order to achieve savings patients should seek to have their prescriptions written by the generic name sildenafil.”
While sildenafil’s price is expected to drop substantially, said Jason Rutt, head of patents at law firm Rouse who previously worked for Pfizer, Viagra’s strong brand identity may stop it from falling too far.
“When a drug becomes generic, the price always falls, but because Viagra is so trusted and patients can buy it themselves, the drop might not be as substantial as for other medicines.”
“Viagra was a massively successful brand, so I am sure there is still a huge value in it.”
Viagra is protected by patent until 2020 in the US, from where a large share of the brand’s revenue derives. The US patent was originally due to expire last year but, following a legal battle with Teva, it was extended by eight years by a US court.
