42 Brand-Name Drugs Becoming Generic

Upstate New York could see nearly $900 million in annualized savings as a result of 42 brand-name prescription drugs becoming available in their generic form during 2011 and 2012 led by blockbuster drugs Lipitor®, Plavix®, and Singulair® according to a report issued by Univera Healthcare. Lipitor has 154,000 users in upstate New York, Plavix has 80,000 upstate users and Singulair has 102,000 users. Access the report online atwww.univerahealthcare.com/factsheets. In the report, “The Fact About Opportunities for Generic Savings in 2011 and 2012”, brands that become available as generics are listed by the conditions they treat in the order of the estimated month that the generic becomes available. In 2011, the largest potential long-term savings will come from Lipitor, which has 154,000 users in upstate New York. In 2012, the largest potential long-term savings will come from Plavix with its 80,000 upstate users and Singulair with 102,000 users. Once their generics become widely available, potential annual savings could total $376 million from these three drugs alone.Other drugs with patents scheduled to expire in 2011 and 2012 include Xalatan®, Nasacort AQ®, Levaquin®, Lexapro®, Actos®, Avalide®, Avapro®, Diovan® and Diovan HCT®. Since October 2005, measurable increases in the use of generic drugs as alternatives to higher-priced brand-name drugs have resulted in savings of more than $1 billion for upstate New Yorkers, according to analyses by Univera Healthcare. Univera Healthcare has a number of educational materials and resources available on its Web site, including a consumer reference guide that lists available generic drug options for a variety of common conditions. The reference guide is available atwww.univerahealthcare.com/generics under “Tools and Resources.”’