POSITION OF GENERIC VS. INNOVATIVE DRUGS

  • Unique Paper ID: 202405
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 8849-8855
  • Abstract:
  • The pharmaceutical industry is broadly divided into two major segments: innovative drugs and generic drugs. Innovative drugs are newly developed medicines created through extensive research, clinical trials, and substantial financial investment by pharmaceutical companies. These drugs are protected through patent rights, granting innovators exclusive rights to manufacture and market the medicine for a specific period. In contrast, generic drugs are bioequivalent versions of branded medicines introduced after the expiration of patent protection. They contain the same active ingredients, dosage, safety profile, and therapeutic effect as the original drugs but are generally available at significantly lower prices. The debate between generic and innovative drugs has gained global significance due to concerns regarding public health, affordability, access to medicines, and the protection of intellectual property rights. Innovative pharmaceutical companies argue that patent protection and market exclusivity are necessary to recover research and development costs and to encourage further innovation. On the other hand, proponents of generic medicines emphasize the need for affordable healthcare and wider accessibility, especially in developing and least-developed countries. International agreements such as the TRIPS Agreement and the Doha Declaration attempt to balance these competing interests by safeguarding patent rights while allowing certain flexibilities to ensure access to essential medicines. This study examines the legal, economic, and public health dimensions of the relationship between generic and innovative drugs. It further analyses the role of patent law, compulsory licensing, competition policies, and regulatory frameworks in maintaining a balance between pharmaceutical innovation and the public interest.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{202405,
        author = {Akash Namdeo Chavan and Rahi Ajabe Alhat},
        title = {POSITION OF GENERIC VS. INNOVATIVE DRUGS},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {8849-8855},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=202405},
        abstract = {The pharmaceutical industry is broadly divided into two major segments: innovative drugs and generic drugs. Innovative drugs are newly developed medicines created through extensive research, clinical trials, and substantial financial investment by pharmaceutical companies. These drugs are protected through patent rights, granting innovators exclusive rights to manufacture and market the medicine for a specific period. In contrast, generic drugs are bioequivalent versions of branded medicines introduced after the expiration of patent protection. They contain the same active ingredients, dosage, safety profile, and therapeutic effect as the original drugs but are generally available at significantly lower prices.
The debate between generic and innovative drugs has gained global significance due to concerns regarding public health, affordability, access to medicines, and the protection of intellectual property rights. Innovative pharmaceutical companies argue that patent protection and market exclusivity are necessary to recover research and development costs and to encourage further innovation. On the other hand, proponents of generic medicines emphasize the need for affordable healthcare and wider accessibility, especially in developing and least-developed countries. International agreements such as the TRIPS Agreement and the Doha Declaration attempt to balance these competing interests by safeguarding patent rights while allowing certain flexibilities to ensure access to essential medicines.
This study examines the legal, economic, and public health dimensions of the relationship between generic and innovative drugs. It further analyses the role of patent law, compulsory licensing, competition policies, and regulatory frameworks in maintaining a balance between pharmaceutical innovation and the public interest.},
        keywords = {Generic Drugs; Innovative Drugs; Pharmaceutical Patents; Intellectual Property Rights; TRIPS Agreement; Compulsory Licensing; Access to Medicines; Public Health; Patent Protection; Pharmaceutical Industry},
        month = {May},
        }

Cite This Article

Chavan, A. N., & Alhat, R. A. (2026). POSITION OF GENERIC VS. INNOVATIVE DRUGS. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(12), 8849–8855.

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