Alimta

... Bloomberg.com: Europe Updated: New York: Oct 25 22:01London: Oct 26 03:01Tokyo: Oct 26 11:01 US AUBZFPGRHKIMJPLNSMIND : Regions Top Worldwide Regions Asia Australia & New Zealand Canada Europe Germany Japan Latin America U.K.

U.S.

Markets Economy/Politics Commentary Sports Culture RESOURCES: Bloomberg TV Bloomberg Radio Markets Europe E-Mail This Story Printer-Friendly Format Global Pharmaceutical Sales to Grow About 7% in 2006, IMS Health Reports Glaxo, AstraZeneca Quarterly Earnings May Advance on Sales of Older Drugs Saint-Gobain Cuts Annual Earnings Target on Slowing Demand, Energy Costs Global Drug Sales May Rise 7% in 2006 to $650 Billion (Correct) (Corrects generic-drug sales projection to billions and deletes percentage in second paragraph.) By Nicole Ostrow Oct.

25 (Bloomberg) - Global pharmaceutical sales will rise as much as 7 percent next year to $650 billion, a slower pace than this year, as six billion-dollar drugs face generic rivals for the first time, according to IMS Health Inc.

About $23 billion in products may lose patent protection overall next year, said Murray Aitken, an IMS Health senior vice president, in an interview in New York.

Sales of generic drugs may rise to $45 billion in the eight biggest markets.

The year 2006 ``seems like a pretty pivotal year for the industry, the biggest year ever in terms of drugs likely to lose their patents in key markets,'' said Aitken.

``The issue in...

Read more...