The Indian Pharmaceutical industry is basically a global powerhouse which can often be referred to as the ‘pharmacy of the world’. There’s a significant factor that contributes to this reputation which is India’s dominance in the production of the generic medicines.
While there has been a boom in the number of generic medicine supplier, it has also been a blessing for consumers because it offers affordable healthcare solutions. It has disrupted the traditional business models of Big Pharma and with the rise of generic medicines, it is fundamentally reshaped the landscape, creating both challenge and opportunity for consumers as well as medicine or medical practitioners.
What are generic medicines?
Generic medicines are the bioequivalent alternatives to branded drugs. They contain the same active ingredients, they should be followed in the same dosage, they have the same safety and strength and route of administration, and most importantly, the intended use of the brand counterparts is the same as that of the generic medicines. The primary distinction, however, lies in the pricing, because generics are significantly cheaper.
How do generic medicines challenge big pharma?
The rise of generics has posed a substantial challenge to the multinational pharmaceutical companies. And more specifically, so the ones that were reliant on the most popular blockbuster drugs. Here is how this happened –
Revenue erosion
When the patent of a branded drug expires, the generic manufacturers step in with the more cost effective alternative, therefore it slashes the revenue stream for the big pharma. The high profit margins that once defined the patented drugs are now drastically lowered.
Legal battles and clash of patent
The big pharma companies aggressively defend their patents, both engaging in the legal battles as well as delaying the entry of the generics. While in this kind of repercussions, they argue that the patents protect the innovation as well as fund the research, the generic medicine supplier and manufacturers challenge their monopolies in court.
Reduced research and development initiatives
Since the generic drugs do not require any new drug discovery, the profit incentive for the large scale R&D investments in these kind of noble drugs sees a decline. There are many pharma giants who struggle to maintain the innovation while dealing with their reduced revenues.
Market competition and price wars
The generic manufacturers, particularly the ones from India, have flooded the global market with affordable alternatives, which has intensified the competition. It has forced the big pharma to lower the prices and explore for other alternative revenue models.
India’s role in global generic medicine industry
India has emerged as a leading supplier of generic medicines because it supplies about 40% of the generic drugs that’s consumed in United States and also a large portion of it goes to Africa and Europe. They are very big company names that have built a very strong global presence by capitalizing on the patent expiration of the most popular drugs. The key reasons for India’s dominance in the generic market include, but is not limited to-
Cost effective manufacturing – because India’s cost production are lower than those of the Western nations given the affordability of the labour and the easy availability of the raw materials.
Strong regulatory compliance – Indian pharmaceutical companies comply with global regulatory standards such as the FDA, EMA ensuring that they follow the right quality.
Government support – There are policies that promote the generic drug production and gives affordable healthcare which enables the growth of the Indian pharmaceutical market.
Benefits of generics for consumers
The rise in the generic medicines has been a game changer. Because with the healthcare costs rising, unless you have access to generic drugs, it is not always possible to continue with the expensive branded medications.
The Indian government has some schemes that have further bolstered access to this kind of accessible and affordable generics.
So, in the way forward, while generics have disrupted big Pharma’s traditional dominance, there will be an emerging trend where we can see the collaboration of the generic drug manufacturers and the multinational pharmaceutical giants. The many big pharma firms are now even licensing their patented drugs to Indian companies so that they can have generic production after the patent has expired. This will benefit the market with cost efficient manufacturing capabilities as well as make the customers and patients open to the different medicines which are otherwise costly. Lastly, there are some multinational firms who are expanding their presence in India by investing in the local companies. They’re outsourcing the R&D to Indian firms and are acquiring stacks in generic manufacturers.
The impact of generic medicines on Big Pharma has been profound and it has really shaped up the global pharmaceutical industry. While there might be some revenue losses for these MNCS, it is also democratized healthcare because it made medicines more affordable and accessible to millions as the Pharmaceutical industry evolves. There has to be a balance between affordability and innovation, which can shape the future of medicine.
