Generic antidepressant drugs: a reappraisal
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Generic drugs are lower-cost versions of brand-name medications for which the patent has expired. Generic products have the same active ingredient as the brand-name drug, but can be marketed at a lower price, as their manufacturers are not influenced by the costs of the original registration studies. The reduction of health care costs is a high priority for governments of many countries in the industrialized world, and the introduction of generic drugs involves remarkable savings. The Generics Pharmaceutical Association estimated a $250 billion saving in the US alone by the use of CNS generic medications in the period from 19992008 (IMS MIDAS, 2009). Although generic formulations are less expensive than the corresponding brand-name drugs, it is debated if they are as safe or effective (Carbon and Correll, 2013). Controversies have sometimes arisen regarding generic substitution, and there is concern among some physicians and patients that brand-name drugs may be clinically superior to generic drugs. This issue is particularly relevant in some therapeutic areas such as psychiatry where special consideration is needed before switching a patient to a generic alternative. Many psychotropic agents currently in use are available as generic products. With regard to antidepressants, the number of generic formulations has increased steadily in the last few years in Italy. Despite evidence of cost savings, anecdotal reports and uncontrolled studies have described relapses and worsening clinical outcome as well as adverse effects in patients after a switch from a branded to a generic formulation of antidepressants (Desmerais et al., 2011; Carbon and Correll, 2013). Moreover, a generic formulation of bupropion extendedrelease has been recently withdrawn from US market, 5 years after an initial series of complaints (Woodcock et al., 2012). Overall, these considerations have contributed to generating widespread negative perception and opposition, among physicians and patients, concerning the use of generic products in depression. The aim of this article is to review general issues on generic drugs and their branded versions, with particular regard to antidepressant drugs.
Authors: Domenico Italiano, Edoardo Spina
Language: Italian
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2199441674