Takeovers, restructurings and tougher regulation – lawyers working in the drugs industry are used to turbulent times. Alex Aldridge gets the perspective of the leading pharma clients facing up to major shifts within the industry
The pharmaceutical industry is going through a turbulent period. Patents protecting companies’ blockbuster drugs are expiring – according to consultancy firm Evaluate Pharma, around half of the $383bn (£255bn)-worth of patented drugs sold worldwide last year will lose patent protection in the next five years – while barriers preventing makers of generic drugs from selling their own versions of leading products continue to fall.
