As blockbusters go generic, US health cost savings of $24.7B expected this year

Generic drugs could save US consumers $24.7 billion this year alone, according to a report by Express Scripts, one of the nation's largest managers of pharmacy benefit plans. The report examined the clinical potential for greater generic drug use in six major drug therapy classes used to treat common conditions such as stomach ulcers, inflammation, depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It was based on a random sample of approximately three million individuals projectable to the US commercially-insured population.

The $24.7 billion savings potential reflects the introduction this year of new generic drugs in two of the most widely-used classes - the anti-cholesterol drug simvastatin (the generic of Merck & Co's Zocor) and the anti-depressant sertraline (Pfizer's Zoloft). In 2005, Zocor and Zoloft had sales of $3.1 and $2.6 billion, respectively.

Thus, the biggest savings available this year are in the anti-cholesterol class, says the report. Generics, including lovastatin, pravastatin and, ultimately, simvastatin, are potent enough to fill 85% of all prescriptions for an anti-cholesterol drug, based on existing prescribing patterns. On average, only 18.8% of anti-cholesterol prescriptions are currently filled with a generic, but some health plans have already achieved generic utilization in this class of over 75%, according to published reports.