Brand Rx Volumes Continues Decline in June

IMS data for June shows that while total generic prescription volumes increased by 10.2 percent over the same month in 2006, branded drug volume was down by 9.8 percent. This is the largest decline in at least the past eighteen months. The biggest contributors to the fall in branded activity were first time generic entries for Norvasc (March), Ambien (April) and Lotrel (May).

This is not a one month phenomenon. Data from the second quarter shows branded volume fell by 8.1 percent relative to the same period last year, much steeper than the 4.5 percent decline in Q1 2007. In contrast, total generic prescriptions were up 11.2 percent in the second quarter and 11.6 percent in the first quarter.

As we’ve pointed out elsewhere, this is the continuation of a long-term trend which provides strong evidence for the complaint, frequently heard in recent years, that pipelines aren’t sufficient to replace what’s being lost to patent expirations