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Branded formulations & biosimilars
What it is
The two segments above commodity generics. Branded formulations are domestic prescription products sold on decades-old brand and doctor relationships rather than on molecule
Biosimilars are highly similar versions of off-patent biologics - mAbs, insulins, trastuzumab - needing comparability studies rather than bioequivalence; with complex generics they are now 15-20%+ of the mix at several large players
Impact on industries
- Brand equity and prescriber relationships support realisation and repeat prescriptions where the molecule is identical across suppliers
- India makes ~a third of the world's biosimilars and took ~22% of trastuzumab prescriptions in a few years; the ~$1bn domestic market grows 16-21% CAGR
- Biosimilar entry cuts the cost of oncology, diabetes and autoimmune therapy sharply for hospitals and patients
- Capital, cell-line development and USFDA/EU-GMP approvals put biosimilars beyond small units, while branded formulations stay exposed to NPPA ceilings