The patent expiries of Merck & Co. Inc. 's $4.4 billion simvastatin (Zocor) and Pfizer Inc. 's $2.6 billion anti-depressant sertraline (Zoloft) within a week in June prompted the Big Pharmas to fight back with their own low-cost versions. Generics are becoming too large, and important, to resist--after all, they have the world's payers on their side.
Generics firms also have more financing options. Last month, Paul Capital Partners, through its Paul Royalty Fund, agreed to invest...