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Structure of the Pharmaceuticals – Big Industry
The big pharma industry is primarily composed of makers of branded drugs. Intellectual property protection is vital to the successful commercialization of medicines and offers makers of branded drugs a unique competitive advantage via patents, which can extend for decades. When branded drugs lose market exclusivity, however, makers of generic pharmaceuticals can generate intense price competition, causing drastic revenue losses on unprotected therapies. Long-term success for branded pharma companies depends on a strong and diverse drug pipeline, which can be augmented by M&A activity. We generally like the group and expect continued industry consolidation.
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