Authorized Generics In The US: Prevalence, Characteristics, And Timing, 2010-19.

Authorized generics are approved brand-name drugs that are sold by brand-name manufacturers or licensees without brands on their labeling. Despite their prevalence in prescription drug markets in the US, little is known about trends in their launches, their timing relative to traditional generics, and the characteristics of their respective brand-name drugs. We linked Food and Drug Administration and IQVIA data to investigate newly launched authorized generics during the period 2010-19. We found 854 launches over this period, with launches peaking in 2014. Marketing appears strategic: In markets with traditional generics, three-fourths of authorized generics launched after the respective generic competition started. When we focused on markets where generics were eligible for the 180-day exclusivity, about 70 percent of authorized generics launched before or during the exclusivity period. These findings provide insights for future research on the effect of authorized generics on competition, prices, and access to generics.

Corporate Investors Increased Common Ownership In Hospitals And The Postacute Care And Hospice Sectors.

The sharing of investors across firms is a new antitrust focus because of its potential negative effects on competition. Historically, the ability to track common investors across the continuum of health care providers has been limited. Thus, little is known about common investor ownership structures that might exist across health care delivery systems and how these linkages have evolved over time. We used data from the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify common investor ownership linkages across the acute care, postacute care, and hospice sectors within the same geographic markets. To our knowledge, this study provides the first description of common investor ownership trends in these sectors. We found that the percentage of acute care hospitals having common investor ties to the postacute or hospice sectors increased from 24.6 percent in 2005 to 48.9 percent in 2015. These changes have important implications for antitrust, payment, and regulatory policies.