IMS HEALTH Launches New Tracking Service 26/07/00 IMS HEALTH Generic Planning is a new service allowing pharmaceutical manufacturers and marketers to assess the market potential of generic versions of ethical drugs whose patents will expire during the next decade, to 2010. Comprehensive prescription drug sales and volume data for major markets is combined with international patent expiration information, allowing for full evaluation of opportunities by country, therapy class and marketed molecule. The new IMS HEALTH Generic Planning provides data on more than 500 marketed molecules, along with patent expiration dates for international pharmaceutical products. Both current retail and hospital sales in addition to growth data are documented by therapy class for the US, Canada, Mexico and the major European countries. Also, IMS HEALTH Generic Planning provides comprehensive information of patent families including, for example, patent extension data, which enables a thorough evaluation of the commercial life of pharmaceutical product patents. According to Stephanie Michalot, marketing manager at IMS Health Global Services, "This comprehensive information, presented in an easy-to-use format, will be an invaluable strategic planning tool for generic drug manufacturers. The customer response has been enthusiastic."