The largest pharmaceutical India won the approval of the U.S. government to sell here the generic version of Lipitor, the most popular anti cholesterol drug. The reason? just beat the patent, which means that it can be manufactured at a much lower cost. Several of the most popular drugs come in recent months in the list of new generics.
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Drug Administration, Food and Technology (FDA, for its acronym in English) has just given the green light to Indian Ranbaxy laboratory in the country to sell the generic version of Lipitor, the best-selling anti-cholesterol drug nationally and globally.
The generic version, called atorvastatin calcium, will soon be in all pharmacies and cost up to 50 percent less. Within a month, treatment with Lipitor costs between 115 and $ 160. Now, if you choose generic drugs, should not exceed 80.
But what is a generic drug?, Does that many times the pharmacist offers an alternative to the so-called brand-name drug?
When a laboratory begins to investigate a drug, the first step you take, even years before the remedy is in pharmacies, it is clear, to prevent the competition copy. This patent lasts a certain time according to the product.
Since August, six of the 10 top selling drugs at national and global levels, will be 20 years old and lose their patents, which means they can go to market its generic versions at a cost 90% lower.
Generic drugs contain the same substances and undergo the same quality controls branded drugs.
The six drugs that can get cheaper versions that conform better to the consumer's pocket are:
Acts, antidiabetic (patent expired in August 2011)
Zyprexa, anti psychotic (patent expired in October 2011)
Lipitor anti-cholesterol (patent expired in November 2011).
Plavix, anti platelet (patent expires in May 2012)
Diovan, anti hypertensive (patent expires in September 2012)
Enbrel, to treat arthritis and psoriasis (patent expires in October 2012)
The Generic Pharmaceutical Association indicates that generic drug use rose from 57 percent in 2004 to 78 percent in 2010. According to the entity, generic drugs have saved the health system in the last decade more than $ 820 billion.
For Dr. Kevin McCormick, a professor of medicine at the University of Rochester, the arrival of generic drugs as necessary to help people not to abandon the treatment because they can not buy medicines.
It is estimated that the United States alone, some 20 million people consume these drugs.
And a treatment now costs on average $ 200 a month, will cost $ 20.