Are We Ready for Generic Biotech? Safey Concerns and Enormous Profits -- at Issue as Industry Braces for Copycat Drugs

Big pharmaceutical companies with popular brand-name drugs have long faced competition from cheaper generic versions of those medicines. Soon, biotechnology companies -- until now exempt from generic competition -- could have the same headache. Congress is close to creating a way to approve discount copies of biotech drugs, a momentous move that would shake the biotechnology business to its roots. The off-price drugs could steal customers and drain revenue from established biotech companies, creating a much more challenging environment.