1.   And companies will try to protect their brands from generic competition by developing improved versions.

2.   At the same time, the availability of generic competition can mean considerable savings for consumers.

3.   A Hoechst executive said profits were under pressure from generic competition and government efforts to reduce prices -- the same factors afflicting the U.S. drug industry.

4.   Bristol-Myers says it can survive generic competition by driving sales of other products and buying small companies.

5.   But unlike the tuberculosis drugs, the AIDS drugs are newer and in many countries have patents that protect them from generic competition.

6.   Cost cutting is the main growth driver in the short term, analysts say, as older products face inevitable declines due to generic competition.

7.   David Barnes, chief executive of the London-based drugmaker, pointed out that Zestril faced generic competition in the German market last year.

8.   De Vane noted that even with an extension on the new dosage, the patent on the original compound will still expire and invite generic competition.

9.   Detailing its results, Ciba said pharmaceuticals sales rose less than expected because generic competition continued to hurt sales of its flagship drug Voltaren.

10.   For drug companies, patents and the protection they bring from generic competition are critical.