Roche Takes Second Hit this Week with Launch of $0 Copay Esbriet Copycat

May 13, 2022

Just days after the failure of Roche’s massive TIGIT Phase III trial, Sandoz has released the first generic of Esbriet, the company’s blockbuster IPF drug Esbriet. Adding insult to injury for Roche, Sandoz’s version has a $0 copay for some patients, all but ensuring its future market dominance. Roche had attempted to stop the drug’s release, but Sandoz, a subsidiary of Novartis, left victorious.

According to John Carroll of Endpoints News, “That was a nice plus for Sandoz, which has been a continual disappointment to Novartis chief Vas Narasimhan, who’s been pondering just what to do with the operation. The whole generics business has suffered from heavy competition and Sandoz has had less than inspiring numbers — a damp squid for a CEO who would like nothing better than to break free of the malaise and romp ahead with better drugs.”