All Clarivate Analytics websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

More information on our cookie policy.

BioWorld. Link to homepage.

/images/Cortellis_Flagship_Logo_TM_RGB_Color.png
  • BioWorld
  • BioWorld MedTech
  • BioWorld Asia
  • BioWorld Science
  • Data Snapshots
    • BioWorld
    • BioWorld MedTech
  • Special reports
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Coronavirus
    • Diagnosing and tracking COVID-19
    • Drugs to Watch 2020
    • The next pandemic
    • Premium reports
      • BioWorld Financings Reports
      • Disease Forecast Reports

BioWorld. Link to homepage.

  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Subscribe
BioWorld - Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Home » Blogs » BioWorld Perspectives » Drug Shortages? We Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

BioWorld Perspectives
BioWorld Perspectives RSS FeedRSS

BioWorld / Oncology / Biosimilar

Drug Shortages? We Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

Oct. 6, 2011
By Mari Serebrov
No Comments

You think the drug shortage is a devil now

Just wait around a few years

’Cause you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

When that biosimilar pathway begins to flash

Those big green dollar signs,

You’ll know, you’ll know, you’ll know, you just ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Those biosimilars will turn your heart away from the old drugs of yesterday.

You’ll think you have it comin’, and you’ll want it that way.

You’ll say big profits are good profits, so you’ll take what you can get.

B-B-B-Baby, you ain’t seen n-n-n-nothin’ yet.

Patients will go to the doctor, and he’ll tell them of a cure.

But they won’t be feelin’ better, ’cause it’ll be the one they just can’t get.

They’ll wait, they’ll wait, they’ll wait. And then they’ll take whatever they can get.

B-B-B-Baby, we ain’t seen n-n-n-nothin’ yet.

With all due apologies to Bachman Turner Overdrive (listen to the classic rock tune here), I’m afraid we ain’t seen nothing yet when it comes to drug shortages. As we’ve reported in BioWorld Today, the bottom line is often behind a drugmaker’s decision to stop making older, off-patent drugs with low profit margins. Making a drug that sells for 48 cents a vial just doesn’t make good business sense.

It will make even less ‘cents’ when the biosimilar pathway really opens up. Many generic and big pharma companies are already developing biosimilars, lured by pricing that could be 80 percent of the innovator biologic, which can sell for thousands of dollars.

As they spend more on biosimilars, these companies may be even less committed to providing the tried and true, older drugs. Thus, my sad refrain:

 

You ain't seen nothin' yet,

B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen n-n-n-nothin' yet,

Here's to the drugs we're not gonna get,

B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen n-n-n-nothin' yet

If you're thinkin' they ain't gonna be around, that's right.

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Popular Stories

  • Free access to BioWorld coronavirus articles

    BioWorld

    The articles in this collection are from BioWorld’s ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Note that we have added three critical tables which are...

  • Today's news in brief

    BioWorld
    BioWorld briefs for March 2.
  • Gloved hand places sample tubes in PCR system

    COVID-19 test makers are adapting for variants

    BioWorld MedTech
    As COVID-19 variants have emerged, so have questions about the effectiveness of tests for infection. While the risk of mutations significantly limiting their...
  • Today's news in brief

    BioWorld MedTech
    BioWorld MedTech's briefs for March 2.
  • Celltrion-Regkirona-2-9

    Celltrion wins first conditional Korean approval for COVID-19 antibody Regkirona

    BioWorld
    HONG KONG – Celltrion Inc. has received conditional marketing authorization from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its anti-COVID-19 monoclonal...
cortellis ad

BioWorld Premium

Enjoy extended coverage for the most complete market view with BioWorld, BioWorld MedTech, and BioWorld Asia in a single, easy to access subscription.

Subscribe
  • BioWorld
    • Today's news
    • Analysis and data insight
    • Clinical
    • Data Snapshots
    • Deals and M&A
    • Financings
    • Newco news
    • Opinion
    • Regulatory
    • Science
  • BioWorld MedTech
    • Today's news
    • Clinical
    • Data Snapshots
    • Deals and M&A
    • Financings
    • Newco news
    • Opinion
    • Regulatory
    • Science
  • BioWorld Asia
    • Today's news
    • Analysis and data insight
    • Australia
    • China
    • Clinical
    • Deals and M&A
    • Financings
    • Newco news
    • Regulatory
    • Science
  • BioWorld Science
    • About
    • Archives
    • Today's news
    • Search BioWorld Science
  • More
    • About
    • Archives
    • Article reprints and permissions
    • Contact us
    • Cookie policy
    • Copyright notice
    • Data methodology
    • Privacy policy
    • Share your news with BioWorld
    • Staff
    • Terms of use
A Clarivate Analytic solution. Link to Clarivate website.
Follow Us

Copyright ©2021. All Rights Reserved. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing