The first generic copy of Roche’s top-selling flu pill Tamiflu hit the U.S. market on Monday, marking a further step in the Swiss drugmaker’s enforced evolution to reliance on a new wave of blockbuster medicines.
Unlisted generic drugmaker Alvogen, which developed the cut-price version with India’s Natco Pharma, said it expected the cheaper product to save the U.S. healthcare system up to $500 million in the upcoming flu season.
Over the years, Tamiflu has provided Roche with occasional windfall profits as flu epidemics have led to spikes in demand, most notably during global H1N1 swine flu outbreak in 2009 when revenue from the drug hit almost $3 billion.
