Big brands brace for $2.6b tumble

More than $2.573 billion in annual pre-rebate R/PBS reimbursements will face erosion this decade with half of the Top 10 earning drugs in Australia preparing for loss of patent protection.

According to an exclusive Pharma in Focus analysis, some of Australia's biggest brands are looking down the barrel of competition, five of which are among the nation's  highest reimbursed drugs.

Janssen's Stelara is one of the next to topple, due to go off-patent in July 2024, putting $322.3 million in PBS reimbursement at risk. BMS's Opdivo is due to lose exclusivity in 2031, and it brought in $402.7 million in pre-rebate R/PBS reimbursements in the calendar year of 2022.