GENERIC-DRUG USE FIGURES TO RISE SHARPLY IN EUROPE

The appetite for generic drugsthroughout the European Communityis expected to double in thenext 7 years, jumping from $17.18billion in 2006 to nearly $36 billionby 2013, according to a new marketanalysis by Frost & Sullivan. As inthe United States, rising health costs in Europe are causinggovernment leaders to explore methods for promotingincreased use of more cost-effective generic medicines, thestudy noted.

?Patent expiries, pro-generic reforms in certain countries,and need for cheap, effective medicines are the key factorsdriving growth in the European generics market,? a researcherfor the company explained. ?Various studies haveindicated the cost savings obtained from generics, and severalgovernments in Europe are actively promoting generics.?