23 september 2026
Generic and biosimilar drugs in Canada: a Sandoz analysis
Between 2026 and 2035, more than 300 brand-name drugs will lose their exclusivity. In other words, the protection that reserved their sale for the company that created them ends, allowing other manufacturers to sell cheaper versions. These versions come in two forms: generics, for conventional drugs, and biosimilars, for biologic drugs made from living cells. Some drugs are even already open to competition, but no cheaper version has reached the market yet.
A Sandoz Canada analysis, whose forecasting framework Aviseo Conseil independently assessed, puts the potential savings associated with generic and biosimilar drugs in Canada at $94 billion.
An unprecedented wave of loss of exclusivity
On October 28, 2026, Sandoz Canada released the analysis A Golden Decade of Loss of Exclusivity for Affordable Medicines in Canada. It identifies more than 300 brand-name drugs that, between 2026 and 2035, will lose their exclusivity or are already open to competition, with no market entry observed so far. These products represent about $24 billion per year in patented drugs: more than 250 opportunities for generics, worth $13 billion, and more than 80 for biologic drugs, worth $11 billion.
$94 billion in potential savings, but nothing is guaranteed
The analysis estimates the illustrative potential for cumulative savings at $94 billion over 2026-2035. If generics and biosimilars do not reach the market in time, payers could face $183 billion in cumulative spending on higher-cost brand-name treatments. Sandoz Canada itself states that these savings are not guaranteed.
Its President and General Manager, Michel Robidoux, makes this the starting point: “patent expiry alone does not create savings.”
Savings materialize when affordable alternatives reach patients and are adopted without delay. According to the modelling, in some years, delays in market entry and adoption could mean billions of dollars in unrealized savings.
What will shape the future of generic and biosimilar drugs in Canada
Several factors emerge from the analysis, including the speed of regulatory processes, barriers to market entry and adoption policies. Sandoz Canada draws nine priorities from it, grouped under four themes:
- timely access;
- meaningful uptake;
- predictable economics;
- fair competition.
Achieving them would require coordinated action from governments, private payers and employers, so that a drug’s approval quickly translates into access for patients.
Aviseo’s assessment
Aviseo Conseil independently assessed the economic and methodological consistency of the forecasting framework. This assessment focuses on the methodology and modelling foundations used to develop the forecasts.
The full study is not available at the moment, but interested readers can contact Sandoz Canada’s Head of Corporate Communications to request access.
