–The latest sign of turmoil in the generic drug marketplace. The widely prescribed beta-blocker atenolol is in short supply around the country. The FDA first reported an atenolol shortage on July 26. According to the FDA website, three companies that manufacture generic atenolol — Mylan, Sandoz, and Teva — say that the cause is a…
Increasing Support For Generic Drugs And Therapeutic Substitution
May 9, 2016 by Leave a Comment
–But some physicians, perhaps influenced by industry, remain skeptical. Generic drugs and therapeutic substitution (replacing a drug without a generic equivalent with a different but closely related drug in the same general class) are two key ingredients in most recipes to hold down health care costs. Now a package of articles and commentary in JAMA…
Experts Foresee Major Role For Generic Crestor
May 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
— Finally there’s a challenger to the long reign of Lipitor The FDA approval on Friday of the first generic version of Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) marks the end of an era and the beginning of a major shift in cardiovascular medicine. Over time, as the price of the drug drops with generic competition, it seems…
Cheaper Generic Statins Beat Brand-Name Statins in Adherence and Outcomes
September 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment
A large observational study finds that people who received a prescription for a generic statin were more likely to take their pills than people who received a prescription for a brand-name statin. This increased adherence appeared to lead to a small but significant improvement in outcomes. … Click here to read the full post on Forbes….
FDA Recalls Another Batch Of Generic Metoprolol
June 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The FDA has recalled more than 13,000 bottles of metoprolol succinate extended release tablets manufactured by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Two months ago the agency recalled another lot of generic metoprolol from a different company, Wockhardt. Both recalls were for medicines manufactured at facilities in India. There have been multiple reports in recent years of problems with…
Following Earlier Recall, Ranbaxy Halts Manufacturing Atorvastatin
November 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Ranbaxy, the often-troubled manufacturer of generic drugs, will temporarily stop manufacturing generic atorvastatin. On November 9, 2012 the company announced a voluntary recall of some lots of atorvastatin because of possible contamination with glass particles. An FDA statement today said that Ranbaxy will discontinue making the drug “until it has thoroughly investigated the cause of the…
Another One Bites the Dust: Diovan Patent Expires But Generic Valsartan Is MIA
September 25, 2012 by 1 Comment
Although the patent on valsartan (Diovan, Novartis) expired last Friday, a generic version of the popular antihypertensive drug has yet to make it to market. By contrast, a generic version of Diovan HCT, the combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide, was recently launched by generic drugmaker Mylan. As reported on Pharmalot, Ranbaxy, the embattled generic drugmaker, holds…
FDA Approves Generic Clopidogrels As Plavix Loses Patent Protection
May 17, 2012 by 1 Comment
For the second time in the past six months, a cardiology mainstay drug has lost patent protection and gone generic. Today the FDA announced that it had approved several generic versions of clopidogrel (Plavix), the antiplatelet drug that for many years was the second best-selling drug in the world. Last November the best-selling drug of all time, Lipitor…
Atorvastatin Lifts Ranbaxy While Pfizer Abandons Its Lipitor Marketing Efforts
May 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Pfizer will no longer aggressively market Lipitor (atorvastatin), its former crown jewel and the most lucrative pharmaceutical product ever. At the same time, generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy posted record revenue for the last business quarter, growth fueled largely by sales of generic atorvastatin in the United States. Pfizer told the Wall Street Journal that it…
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