News Focus
News Focus
icon url

RockRat

08/05/11 6:11 PM

#124579 RE: DewDiligence #124576

>>Are you referring to an authorized generic from SNY?<<

No, but I think it would lead to that . . . Imported branded drug. Congress passes drug importation bill, president signs . . . EU pharmacy puts in an order for a bunch of branded lovenox, more than it would use normally in its home market. Ecstatic Sanofi rep fills the order. EU pharmacy turns around and sells some to the US market. Patient goes online and orders, it's FedExed. Still the branded drug.

This is something beyond Sanofi's control, an act of Congress, so not authorized. If Sanofi was pissed about the resale they could stop supplying the pharmacy, but they'd be whacking such moles all the time the price differential is there, and hurting their EU sales about as much as they save their US sales. So given the new market dynamic, I could see Sanofi cutting out the middleman and doing an AG in that scenario, unless the new legislation forbade it.

Can't remember if the AG pathway existed when the drug importation legislation was first floated.

It also depends on how much cheaper EU lovenox is. Anyone know? If it's not >20% cheaper than generic US lovenox, maybe not much of a problem. Or Sanofi might try raising its EU price, but I gather that is problematic due to the number of similar drugs there, which is why its cheaper there in the first place, no?

Semantics AND game theory; my head hurts.

Regards, Rockrat