Amarin – and the industry at large – was stunned in March this year when Hikma and Dr Reddy’s walked away from court with an invalidity ruling against six Vascepa patents in the US. The originator’s CEO gave an impassioned update on the current state of play, including the potential for generics to launch ahead of a Federal Circuit ruling later this year or early in 2021.

Second-quarter earnings results from two of the Big Three – Teva and Mylan – hold much of the intrigue in August, while more competition in the nascent Avastin biosimilar market could materialize in Europe.

Coronavirus-induced stockpiling and advanced prescribing of medicines has resulted in generics companies across the world registering unprecedented growth during the first quarter of 2020. However, many companies predict sales will level off again in the next quarter and beyond. And as demand fluctuates following the COVID-19 outbreak, firms have started taking precautionary measures to avoid supply-chain disruptions.

Fresenius Kabi’s Diprivan sedative was added to the US FDA’s drug shortage list in April as the COVID-19 pandemic peaked. A long-term committed purchasing agreement signed between the German firm and Premier Inc. will guarantee adequate supply and manage any future surges, the US hospitals group believes.