About Us About Generics Issues Media Meetings Members Only
  FAQs
  Statistics
  Resources
  Glossary
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Home About Generics Statistics

Statistics
Image

Our Industry

  • U.S. brand pharmaceutical manufacturer sales for 2007: $228 billion.
    U.S. generic pharmaceutical manufacturer sales: $58.5 billion. (source: IMS National Sales Perspective, Moving Annual Total, Nov. 2007)
  • The top five U.S. corporations by unbranded generic prescriptions dispensed are Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Mylan Inc., Novartis (Sandoz), Watson Pharmaceuticals, and Barr Laboratories, Inc., respectively.
  • 8,730 of the 11,487 drugs listed in the FDA’s Orange Book  have generic counterparts. (source: FDA, MedAd News)

Generic Prescriptions

  • Generic medicines account for 65% of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States, yet only 20.5% of all dollars spent on prescriptions. (source: IMS Health)
  • Generic pharmaceutical products are used to fill nearly two billion prescriptions every year.
  • In 2007, the top 10 generic drugs, by prescriptions dispensed in the United States, were Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone, Lisinopril, Levothyroxine, Amoxicillin, Metoprolol, Hydrochlorothiazide, Metformin, Azithromycin, Simvastatin and Atenolol. (source: IMS National Prescription Audit, National Sales Perspective, Nov. 2007.)

Generic Savings

  • In 2006, the average retail price of a generic prescription drug was $32.23. The average retail price of a brand name prescription drug was $111.02. (Source: The National Association of Chain Drug Stores, 2006).
  • According to a 1998 study by the Congressional Budget Office, generic drugs save consumers between $8 billion and $10 billion each year.
Generics in the Future
  • The generic industry is growing at more than 7%, a pace that is faster than the world pharmaceutical market. (source: IMS Health)
  • Blockbuster products expected to come off patent in 2008 include Fosamax, Lamictal, Prograf, Risperdal, Topamax, and Valcote/Depakote. (source: IMS Health)