Singapore: Generics are predicted to take over the antiviral drugs market, especially in the case of HIV medication, as a series of patent expiries will open opportunities for ambitious companies to seize huge revenue, according to a new report by healthcare experts GBI Research.

The new report states that an increase in the patient population and reforms in government policies will work together to encourage the rise of generic pharmaceutical powers.

Government policies include the need for prior authorization in order to dispense branded drugs that have generic alternatives, while further incentives are available from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) for dispensing generic drugs. These kinds of regulatory changes and financial benefits could act as significant drivers of the market during the forecast period. (Read India announces new biosimilar regulatory guidelines)

While it is estimated that, in 2010, generics accounted for 18.9 percent of the market share in the global antivirals market, this market share is forecast to grow to reach 29.2 percent by 2018. This is largely due to a series of patent expiries expected to hit the antiviral market, which will act to raise the value of generic antiviral drugs to over $9 billion by 2018.

Generics in the HIV market in particular accounted for an estimated majority market share of 46 percent in the total generic antivirals market during 2010. HIV generics are expected to create a boom in the market, due to a loss of patent exclusivity for key antiviral drugs.