Recent changes in prices by the major pharmaceutical firms have not closed the gap. All brand name producers maintain that the comparisons are unfair, citing the high costs of research. Although other companies spend similar amounts, their financial reports indicate that a much larger expense is marketing and advertising their drugs. The company reported 27.8 percent of its revenue as profit. One of the largest foreign manufacturers of AIDS drugs, ACIC Pharmaceuticals, based in Branford, Canada, has made AZT and three other AIDS drugs for a decade, getting larger and larger orders from countries like Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Mexico.
Analysts expect the generic drug industry to grow.
Production by the shadow market in developing countries does not affect the pocket books of the major western pharmaceutical firms because the market is small and the revenue a fraction of their sales. However, once the generic producers target US markets, the game could get much rougher. And, according to Calenti, the generics are ready. This document was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .