Expiring patents are a bitter pill for drug companiesA RECORD number of drug patents will expire over the next few years, which should heighten competition from generic drugs and force down prices. In 2009, $26 billion of sales were at risk from patent expiries. This will nearly double in 2011 according to EvaluatePharma, a consultancy. The price of any given drug falls by more than 85% within a year of a patent expiring in markets like America. About 13% of global drug sales are at risk from generic competition over the next two years. Big Pharma has yet to come up with more blockbusters that will compensate for lost revenue and may look to generic drug companies to repair up a damaged business model. ...