2021 Report

View the latest data in the 2022 U.S. Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report

U.S. Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report

Generics and biosimilar medicines deliver more savings every year.

At a moment when policymakers are contemplating measures to reduce drug prices for American patients, AAM’s 2021 U.S. Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report, featuring data from IQVIA, breaks the savings down by state, age, payer and common medical conditions and more.

Because tens of millions of Americans entrust their health to generics and biosimilars, they saved $338 billion in 2020, and nearly $2.4 trillion in the last decade.

U.S. biosimilars savings totaled $8 billion in 2020 and are projected to save $133 billion over the next five years.

The promise of biosimilars is coming into view, writes Christine Simmon, Executive Director of the Biosimilars Council, but it won’t be fully realized until more policymakers and physicians understand the value proposition of these FDA-approved treatments for acute and chronic conditions.

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$338 Billion: U.S. Health Care System Savings

Up from the 2019 analysis which reported $315 billion in generic and biosimilar savings, this figure indicates that the savings have continued for patients and the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pharmacist

90%: Portion of U.S. prescriptions filled by generic drugs

Those prescriptions accounted for only 18% of the country’s spending on prescription drugs. In other words, costly brand-name products account for the bulk of pharmaceutical spending. The generic and biosimilars industry brings costs down.

$6.61: The average generic copay

The amount paid at the pharmacy counter is what matters to patients. High prices can discourage patients from following their prescriptions. Fortunately, 93% of the time, the copay for a generic prescription is under $20. (The average out-of-pocket cost for brand-name drugs is more than eight times higher, $55.82.)

Physician

$7.9 billion: Biosimilars savings

To date, the FDA has approved 31 biosimilars across 11 molecules. Twenty biosimilars are on the market, with prices that average 30% less than their reference brand biologic. At least six more biosimilars are scheduled to come to market in 2023. This competition has lowered costs for both the reference products and their biosimilars. Since their introduction, biosimilars have been used in more than 121 million days of patient therapy and have supported almost 10 million incremental days of therapy.

Read more on the Biosimilars Council blog: Biosimilars and Bending the Cost Curve.

2021 savings to Medicare: $109.6 billion. 2021 savings to Medicaid: $53.8 billion

$109.6 billion: Medicare savings

Medicare savings on generics and biosimilars is good news for seniors and taxpayers. Medicaid savings came to $53.8 billion in 2020. AAM publishes these findings annually to remind policymakers, health care professionals and advocates and the public of the vital role that safe, effective, FDA-approved generics and biosimilars play in health of our nation.

Our Interactive Savings Map

How much did your state save in 2020? California led the way, with $30 billion. To view a full break down of generic savings by state and payer type, choose a state in the drop-down menu to download a one-page summary of how much that state saved from generic medicines.

Please note: state savings totals are rounded from actual totals.

Savings by Patient Condition

No matter what condition you or your family members are experiencing, generic and biosimilar prescription medicines are saving you money. Savings for allergy and asthma totaled $13.6 billion in 2020 and $101.8 billion from 2010-2020.

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We have compiled patient savings for top conditions into Savings by Condition fact sheets with data produced for AAM by IQVIA. In addition to a breakdown of one-year savings and 10-year savings, patients can also see their generic savings for common co-morbidities of each of these conditions.

Download a Savings by Condition Fact Sheet:

#PatientAccess

Take action to secure the future of accessible generic and biosimilar medicines.

Share your voice and tell lawmakers to protect your access to generic and biosimilar medicines.
Share your story about why you rely on generics or biosimilars to manage your health.
Read AAM’s blueprint for a closely connected, diverse and resilient pharmaceutical supply chain.
Advocate for biosimilars savings.

Social Media Toolkit

Through the pandemic and beyond, generic and biosimilar medicines can offer much-needed health benefits and substantial cost savings. We encourage you to help educate others by sharing this information in your social channels.

Please remember to tag @AccessibleMeds and @BiosimsCouncil in your posts and use #GRxBiosimsSavingsReport to be a part of the conversation.

Graphics for Sharing

According to the 2021 #GRxBiosimsSavingsReport from @acessiblemeds, generic and biosimilar medicines saved U.S. patients and health system $338 billion in 2020. https://bit.ly/AAMSavingsReport @biosimscouncil #generics #biosimilars #patientaccess #affordablemedicines

#Biosimilar access drives savings. https://bit.ly/AAMSavingsReport #GRxBiosimsSavingsReport #biosimilars #affordablemedicines #patientaccess @biosimscouncil

How much did your state save? The @accessiblemeds 2021 #GRxBiosimsSavingsReport presents data on state-by-state generic drug savings in 2020: https://bit.ly/AAMSavingsReport #generics #biosimilars #savings