Generic drugs have promoted unprecedented growth in the history of consumption of products intended for the treatment of chronic diseases in Brazil. This phenomenon has transformed the therapeutic classes of antilipemic drugs (cholesterol control), antidiabetic drugs (diabetes control), and antihypertensive drugs (hypertension control) into the main sources of revenue for companies in the segment.
An unprecedented study by the Brazilian Association of Generic Drug Manufacturers, PróGenéricos, analyzed the performance of these product categories in the market and found that, since 1999, the year generics arrived in Brazilian pharmacies, sales of antidepressants have grown 1313.4%. In the antidiabetic market, sales growth reached 488.6%. Sales of antihypertensives, in turn, grew by 372.8%.
The share of generics in sales of these types of drugs analyzed has grown more sharply in the last four years. In the case of antidiabetic drugs, generics accounted for 20.2% of sales of all products of this type marketed in the country in June 2010, and today account for 40.6%. Among antidiabetics, the market share of generics jumped from 38% to 41.3% in the same period. Among antihypertensives, market share jumped from 38.6% in June 2010 to 54.6%.
“The goal of leveraging generics as a public health policy and promoting access has turned into a business opportunity for pharmaceutical companies. For this reason, virtually all of the companies that currently lead the Brazilian industry rankings are generic drug manufacturers,” says Telma Salles, executive president of PróGenéricos.
The sum of all products sold in these three classes accounts for 28.6% of the generic market in units (226 million) and 29.4% of the sector's revenue (R$4.1 billion). "Practically one-third of the entire segment's results," analyzes Salles.
How much is it worth?
The antihypertensive market generated R$7.8 billion in Brazil in 2013, with generic drug manufacturers accounting for 39.24% of the revenue from sales of these products.
Antilipenics generated sales of R$2.2 billion for pharmaceutical companies operating in the segment, with generic drug manufacturers accounting for 46.55% of the total.
Finally, antidiabetic drugs generated R$1.9 billion in Brazilian pharmaceutical retail sales last year. Generic drugs, although they hold a 41% market share, generated only 17% of the segment's revenue. "This is due to two factors. First, it shows how much more expensive branded products are, and therefore more profitable for the companies that manufacture them. In addition, the vast majority of people with diabetes have joined pharmaceutical assistance programs, such as Farmácia Popular, and obtain the medication for free," explains Telma Salles.