BLOG: Surprise! Generic Restasis is approved
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Good morning from Jerusalem! It’s precisely “next year” today.
On the ride from the airport, I saw lions lying down with lambs after getting buzzed by a flock of flying elephants. I am typing this from my hotel after being delivered by my Uber driver, Godot.
I didn’t have to wait for him, either.
All kinds of crazy things we’ve all been waiting for are happening, including the arrival of a generic version of the venerable dry eye medication Restasis (Allergan). That’s right folks, the FDA has approved a generic version of cyclosporine A 0.05% in a lipid emulsion. The generic request was supported by Mylan, which means it will be first to market. This makes things harder for bloviating prognosticators like yours truly; the generic that is widely available in Canada is made by another large generic manufacturer, Teva. There is no real-life experience for me to hunt down.
Not surprisingly, there is all kinds of buzz about this. The Henny Pennys running around declaring that the dry eye disease market is falling from the sky seem to be precisely balanced by the barbarians dancing around a Restasis funeral pyre. There appears to be an equal balance between the “DED patients are saved from bankruptcy” gang and the “meh, this is only going to make the prior authorization stuff worse” team. In reality, nothing is going to happen for many months yet, especially in the jungle that is Medicare Part D. The only thing that changes in the short term is what the backroom bargaining will look like for next year’s insurance contracts. These are typically completed by June.
What do I think? Well, this really is a big deal, one that I’ve been “talking” about for at least 8 years. There are all kinds of critical decisions to be made. I mean, just think about the lineup of investment bankers outside the offices of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, which owns the Restasis patents. This is big enough for a full column. Look for it next month.
For now, I am helping Godot clean off his windshield. Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean off droppings from those flying elephants?!
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