Cheaper Zocor throws generic market a curveball
Employee Benefit Adviser, October, 2006 by Chris Silva
A recent change in policy adopted by large pharmaceutical firm Merck to offer greater discounts for its cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor has given employer-clients, pharmacy benefit managers and insurers a tough benefit design decision: Should they stick with convention and push generic substitution (simvastatin), or offer brand-name Zocor at a lower cost? It's an anomaly for clients used to promoting cheaper generics wherever available.
Rarely have they had to consider whether a cheaper brand-name drug is a better alternative than a generic. The decisions made could have a huge impact on the pharmaceutical industry, which features constant bickering between the generic and brand-name industries over exclusivity and marketing rights, patent law, distribution policies,...
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