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Generic entry, price competition, and market segmentation in the prescription drug market – A comment

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  • Izabela Jelovac

    (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - EM - EMLyon Business School - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

In this note, we revise the theoretical condition in Regan (2008) under which the price of brand-name drugs increases with the number of generic competitors—a phenomenon known as the generic paradox. We show that this condition derives from the analysis of an interior solution while it actually excludes the existence of an interior solution. Therefore, the theoretical result in Regan (2008) arises from an internal inconsistency.

Suggested Citation

  • Izabela Jelovac, 2025. "Generic entry, price competition, and market segmentation in the prescription drug market – A comment," Post-Print hal-05375917, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05375917
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2025.103218
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05375917v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark Armstrong & John Vickers, 2022. "Patterns of Competitive Interaction," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(1), pages 153-191, January.
    2. Regan, Tracy L., 2008. "Generic entry, price competition, and market segmentation in the prescription drug market," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 930-948, July.
    3. Ferrara, Ida & Missios, Paul, 2012. "Pricing of drugs with heterogeneous health insurance coverage," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 440-456.
    4. Atanu Saha & Henry Grabowski & Howard Birnbaum & Paul Greenberg & Oded Bizan, 2006. "Generic Competition in the US Pharmaceutical Industry," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 15-38.
    5. Ferrara, Ida & Kong, Ying, 2008. "Can health insurance coverage explain the generic competition paradox?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 48-52, October.
    6. Ying Kong & James R. Seldon, 2004. "Pseudo-Generic Products and Barriers to Entry in Pharmaceutical Markets," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 25(1), pages 71-86, August.
    7. Richard G. Frank & David S. Salkever, 1997. "Generic Entry and the Pricing of Pharmaceuticals," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 75-90, March.
    8. Nirvikar Singh & Xavier Vives, 1984. "Price and Quantity Competition in a Differentiated Duopoly," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 15(4), pages 546-554, Winter.
    9. Sotiris Vandoros & Panos Kanavos, 2013. "The generics paradox revisited: empirical evidence from regulated markets," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(22), pages 3230-3239, August.
    10. Ying Kong, 2009. "Competition between brand‐name and generics – analysis on pricing of brand‐name pharmaceutical," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(5), pages 591-606, May.
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