Reckitt Benckiser Not Launching Its Own Generic Suboxone

Tchort

Tchort

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Wall Street Journal

07/29/2009

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Reckitt Benckiser PLC (RB.LN) has no plans to launch its own generic Suboxone product when its exclusive rights to the heroin-dependance treatment expire in October, the group's chief executive said Wednesday.

The household cleaning and personal care products maker has exclusivity for Suboxone in the U.S. until the end of September and in Europe until 2016.

Analysts have speculated that Reckitt could be planning to launch its own generic product in the U.S. to offset the impact of the loss.

"I normally wouldn't comment on this but no we're not," said CEO Bart Becht on a conference call with reporters.

He said the company was looking for other ways to offset the loss of exclusivity in the U.S. Up to 80% of the revenues and profits of the company's pharmaceuticals division might be lost to generic competition in 2010, with the possibility of further erosion thereafter, he said.

He added that the pharmaceutical business was a relatively small part of the business.

Suboxone posted net revenue of GBP219 million in the six months to June 30 and adjusted operating profit of GBP132 million.

Suboxone is a prescription drug used to treat heroin dependence.

-By Michael Carolan, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9278; [email protected]
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http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090729-703121.html
 
I am pretty surprised that they are not pursuing a generic Suboxone. As far as I can tell, Reckitt-Benckiser has been the only brand Buprenorphine manufacturer for what, 20 years? Buprenex, Temgesic, Subutex, Suboxone. I don't think they made a generic for Buprenex or Temgesic (I'm pretty sure Abbott makes the generic Buprenex). But then again, Subutex/Suboxone are selling at a much faster pace and at much higher volumes than Buprenex/Temgesic ever did.
 
Is it typical for a drug co. to manufacture a generic version of a cash-cow drug once its patent runs out?

I would imagine that the brand name manufacturer loses most of the drugs sales when a generic becomes available (obviously). So "Too Many Doses," why would Reckitt Benckiser benefit by continuing to only manufacture the brand name.

Most insurance companies only cover generics (my state provided insurance covers Subutex, thank God; that expensive garbage of a drug) and pharmacies typically give you the generic version of a drug by default unless for some reason you ask for the more expensive brand version because, I dunno, you like getting your pills in a box with the original logo on it.

What's the angle? Haha.
 
Is it typical for a drug co. to manufacture a generic version of a cash-cow drug once its patent runs out?
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I'm under the impression that it is not typical. I could certainly be wrong. The only one that comes to mind is Purdue, but they stopped doing that once they got generics off the market.

Usually what they do is pursue a similar drug or a different formulation(see Lexapro, Ambien CR, etc). Last I heard there was testing for a different flavor and a patch. Not sure if those are from Reckitt though.

What's the angle? Haha.
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I'm sure they have their reasons. They know how much of their revenue comes from this and they knew that this was going to happen.
 
Forgive my ignorance, but couldn't Reckitt simply lower the price of their name brand Subs to compete with the generics rather than create their own generic which would essentially be the same thing they are already making anyway???
 
^
They would still cost more than the generics, at least that's the case with every other brand name vs generic rx. And as someone mentioned above, some insurance plans only cover generics if they're available.
 
phrozen said:
^
They would still cost more than the generics, at least that's the case with every other brand name vs generic rx. And as someone mentioned above, some insurance plans only cover generics if they're available.
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The general public is very superstitious when it comes to generic drugs. They just don't trust them; it is difficult convincing a lot of people there are no differences in the active ingredients and that the inactives that may be different almost never matter.

Drug addicts seem to be even more superstitious. Buying and selling illicit/diverted pharmaceutical products is often complicated by addicts and users (and thus dealers as well) being unconvinced that a generic is 'as good as' a brand name drug. This was very pronounced with OxyContin- but is true of basically every Rx drug on the black market.

I bet the same will be true of Suboxone/Subutex. Addicts will probably still ask for the brand- believing it is 'stronger' than the generic. Like MMT patients who become hysterical when traveling to a different area and guest dosing at a different clinic that dispenses a different formulation (cherry liquid vs wafers), or MMT patients when they go to the hospital (where you often get 10mg pills rather than liquid or wafers).
 
I have known so many people who think that there is a difference between generic and brand name drugs. Not all of them are recreational drug users either, but people who refuse to buy generic medications because they percieve them as being inferior somehow.

I always get generic when I fill my prescriptions, why would I want to pay twice as much for what is essentially the exact same thing?
 
Tchort said:
The general public is very superstitious when it comes to generic drugs. They just don't trust them; it is difficult convincing a lot of people there are no differences in the active ingredients and that the inactives that may be different almost never matter.

Drug addicts seem to be even more superstitious. Buying and selling illicit/diverted pharmaceutical products is often complicated by addicts and users (and thus dealers as well) being unconvinced that a generic is 'as good as' a brand name drug. This was very pronounced with OxyContin- but is true of basically every Rx drug on the black market.

I bet the same will be true of Suboxone/Subutex. Addicts will probably still ask for the brand- believing it is 'stronger' than the generic. Like MMT patients who become hysterical when traveling to a different area and guest dosing at a different clinic that dispenses a different formulation (cherry liquid vs wafers), or MMT patients when they go to the hospital (where you often get 10mg pills rather than liquid or wafers).
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I can't comment on how big the issue of the public's conception of generics vs. brand name drugs is.
BUT, it was justified with OxyContin as far as users were concerned. Besides the ABG's, which were manufactured by Purdue, the other generics that were available in the US reacted differently when exposed to moisture/water. It was common for them to sell for less than the ABG's and brand name OC's due to the decreased demand.
 
Is the case of the difference between brand name and generic Oxycontin typical in the world of pharma?

I believe that 90% of what I have been scripted has been generic (antidepressants, benzos, dexadrine) and more to the point I have never even SEEN the original brand name version of most of the meds I have taken: The exceptions being Welbutrin and Ambien when t first came out. And when the generic was available I didn't notice a difference.

And now to my question: does anyone think (or is it possible) that the generic companies will create new methods of administration for Buprenorphine--or might Reckitt B. create a new MOA in order to get around the expired patent?
For example, might they create a transdermal patch, a controlled release pill, or even a pill you can swallow instead of use sublingual?
 
Is the case of the difference between brand name and generic Oxycontin typical in the world of pharma?
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No. I can't think of any other drug where the generic was harder to abuse than the brand name.

As for perceived strength differences, I haven't noticed it in the drugs I have tried. I think the placebo effect is at play for people who do notice a difference.
 
phrozen said:
As for perceived strength differences, I haven't noticed it in the drugs I have tried. I think the placebo effect is at play for people who do notice a difference.
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I agree that it's probably a placebo effect more often than not--it wouldn't shock me if have been litigation because of fraudulent dosage claims in generic drugs.
there
I also wouldn't be surprised if someone who started taking a drug while only the brand name was available (Welbutrin, for example) and then switched to the Bupropion generic of the same dosage and perceived the generic to be weaker due to the brand versions packaging, and due to the pills' imprint saying the brand name of the drug.

Or Something.

Emm, so I think that I've seen patents for Buprenorphine patches. What would the advantages be?
 
bup patches?

Ufotofu9 said:
I agree that it's probably a placebo effect more often than not--it wouldn't shock me if have been litigation because of fraudulent dosage claims in generic drugs.
there
I also wouldn't be surprised if someone who started taking a drug while only the brand name was available (Welbutrin, for example) and then switched to the Bupropion generic of the same dosage and perceived the generic to be weaker due to the brand versions packaging, and due to the pills' imprint saying the brand name of the drug.

Or Something.

Emm, so I think that I've seen patents for Buprenorphine patches. What would the advantages be?
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The advantages would be a steady dose 24-7 plus not having to remember to take a pill. (Sort of like the birth control patches)
 
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