Evergreening in the Pharmaceutical Industry

United States Pharmaceutical

Evergreening Timetable The Spending per Year, in Billions

Problem
450

400

with
Drug
patented 350 424.8
as brand 356.7

Pristiq
300 329.9
name
297.1
280.9
250 276.6
261.2
255.3
200
After 20 years, the patent on
the molecule expires, and 150
other companies can
100
produce it for cheaper.
(generics) Price 50

Today 0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

1993
When the drug can be sold generically, the

Less competition
Effexor is released to treat Price:
price drops drastically. This cuts into the prot
depression and social anxiety (1995) $2.33/pill
of the orginal manufacturer.

1997 = higher prices.

Effexor XR is released to treat Price:
The original manufacturer makes a small, the same array of ailments. $0.63/pill
irrelevant change to the molecule, and markets (generic)
it as new and improved, and encourages the use

2008
of it over their old drug that is being produced by Price: Evergreening results in patent-protected monopolies of a
generic drug production companies. Pristiq is released to treat $3.14/pill certain sector of medicine. When this occurs, the consumer is
solely depression. forced to pay whatever price is set by the producer.

A prime example of evergreening is the antidepressant Pristiq.

Pzer, the creator of Pristiq, heavily recommends using Pristiq
Sources:
Tree by Sandra Mills from the Noun Project
over Effexor. The issue, however, is that Effexor metabolizes Evergreening Definition: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3680578/
pill bottle by Fuat anl from the Noun Project
into Pristiq, essentially making it THE SAME MOLECULE. There Effexor XR statatistics and logistics: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=53c3e7ac-1852-4d70-d2b6-4fca819acf26
Pricing data: GoodRX.com
is no benet to Pristiq over Effexor. Skeletal formula of Pristiq: By Fvasconcellos - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1891801
Drug spending data: https://aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/pdf/187586/Drugspending.pdf
Drug spending data 2016: http://fortune.com/2016/04/14/us-drug-spending-record-high/
<div>Icons made by <a href="http://www.flaticon.com/authors/lyolya" title="Lyolya">Lyolya</a> from <a href="http://www.flati-
Prices based on GoodRX.coms listing for Walmarts prices
con.com" title="Flaticon">www.flaticon.com</a> is licensed by <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" title="Creative
Infographic by Kurt Lott for each pill without insurance. Commons BY 3.0" target="_blank">CC 3.0 BY</a></div>