| You may have heard that switching to a generic drug will save money and now may be wondering if there is any difference between branded drugs and their generic versions. Here is a detailed comparison of the two.
According FDA (U.S. Food and Drug administration, to receive FDA approval, a generic medication must: contain the same active ingredients as the branded medication (inactive ingredients may differ), be identical in efficacy, dosage form and route of administration; have the same use indications, be bioequivalent; meet the same batch requirements for identity, efficacy, purity and quality; be produced under the same rigid standards of FDA's good manufacturing practice regulations mandatory for innovator products. In other words, their pharmacological effects are exactly the same as those of their brand name counterparts.
A great many people have doubts about the efficacy of generic drugs, because the latter are often substantially cheaper than brand name versions. They would like to know if the quality and potency have been ignored to manufacture inexpensive drugs. Generic medications are required to be as secure and effective as branded drugs.
Actually, the lower cost of generic medications is explained by the fact that the manufacturers have not had the expenditure of manufacturing and marketing a new drug. When a producer introduces a new medication to the market, the business has already spent a substantial amount of money on research, development, marketing and promotion of the medication. The company that manufactures the medication is granted a patent - an exclusive right to sell the medication as long as the patent is valid. As the expiration date of the patent nears, producers can apply to the FDA for permission to produce and sell generic versions of the medication. Without the startup expenses on research and manufacturing of the medication, companies can afford to manufacture and sell it cheaper. When several firms start manufacturing and selling a drug, the competition among them can also drive the price down.
Since the standards for all drug producing facilities are the same, many companies make both brand name and generics. In fact, 50% of generic drug manufacture is estimated to be made by brand name producers.
Generic drugs may at times be molded differently than branded names, such as a generic tablet versus a branded bolus. However, they have the same active ingredients and are manufactured under the same standards as branded medications. Generic drugs differ from brand name medications, since trademark laws do not allow generics to look exactly like branded drugs. Colors, flavors and other inactive and inert ingredients, such as fillers, may differ.
These variations are also seen between branded medications sold in different countries. A product can be a capsule in the USA, but a pill in Canada, for instance, even though it is produced by the same brand name company. |
