Biogenerics to hit Europe

Biogenerics are set to become the next big battleground between the branded pharma and generics industries, according to a market analyst.

A Datamonitor report has found that generic drug makers may soon be moving into the area of biological therapeutics, threatening the sector that had combined global sales in 2004 of $20 billion.

It was also found that biogenerics could be on the market as soon as 2006 in the EU and in the US by 2009, as regulatory authorities make progress in establishing the necessary ways to license them.

Datamonitor pharmaceutical markets analyst David Evans said: “The combined size of this market makes it a tempting target, and pressure from generics companies and from governments has driven the development of regulatory pathways.”

The report also highlighted six key product classes that are at risk from biogenerics: insulin, human growth factor, epoetin, colony stimulating factors (CSFs), interferon alpha and interferon beta.

Looking to the future Mr Evans said: “The feeling is that we have not yet even seen the start of the key confrontations in biogenerics.

“But as biogenerics products approach the market, the real battles will begin.”

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