Generic Price Competition For Specialty Drugs: Too Little, Too Late?

Health Aff (Millwood). 2018 May;37(5):738-742. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1684.

Abstract

The case of generic imatinib demonstrates several potential barriers to effective generic price competition for specialty prescription drugs, including fewer market entrants, smaller-than-expected price reductions, shifts in prescribing toward more expensive brand-name treatments, and limited uptake of the generic product.

Keywords: Access To Care; Cost of Health Care; Health Spending; Pharmaceuticals.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / economics
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cost Savings*
  • Dasatinib / economics
  • Dasatinib / therapeutic use*
  • Databases, Factual
  • Drug Costs*
  • Drugs, Generic / economics*
  • Drugs, Generic / pharmacology
  • Drugs, Generic / supply & distribution
  • Economic Competition*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imatinib Mesylate / economics
  • Imatinib Mesylate / therapeutic use
  • Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / economics
  • Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Marketing
  • Outpatients / statistics & numerical data
  • Retrospective Studies
  • United States

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Drugs, Generic
  • Imatinib Mesylate
  • Dasatinib