End of a pharma era
Today is the end of an era in the pharma industry—the US patent expires on Pfizer’s Lipitor (atorvastatin), the best-selling drug of all time. This drug arguably simultaneously changed both the course of the pharma industry, through the manner of its acquisition by Pfizer, and of human health, through its incontroversially positive impact on cardiovascular outcomes.
As generic versions go on sale, this will mark LOE (or “loss of exclusivity protection”) of a brand that has dominated the drug industry, lowered the cholesterol of tens of millions of patients, and generated more in annual sales than the entire box office of US movies.
Time then to reflect a little on it and the lessons that it proffers. Two though-provoking pieces…
Why There Will Never Be Another Drug Like Lipitor
Say Farewell to Lipitor but Don’t Forget Its Lessons
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/say_farewell_to_lipitor_but_do.html
Ciarán Collins 