Generics are drugs that are brought to market at a lower price after a patent expires by a manufacturer who is not the original developer of that drug. Because the research and development costs are not incurred by this manufacturer, generics are equivalent to the original, but less expensive.
What are generic drugs?
Generics are drugs that are marketed at a lower price after a patent expires by a manufacturer that is not the original developer of that drug. Approval of a drug follows a costly development, research and approval phase. Before it is approved, it is studied for its pharmacological efficacy, side effects and for contraindications. These processes are lengthy and costly, so not every pharmaceutical company researches and develops drugs at all. Those that go through this process receive the patent on the drug and are allowed to market it exclusively once it is approved. The idea behind this is that the researching company should be able to recoup the costs of development. Patent protection lasts for a maximum of 20 years and cannot be renewed after that, but since the patent already runs during the research phase, the developing group can actually only sell the new drug on its own for less than 20 years. After that, so-called generics can come onto the market. Generics are drugs with the same active ingredient.
Pharmacological effect
Generics are congruent with the original in their pharmacological effect. In the case of generics, the composition of the drug is not initially changed; it remains with the composition of the original. This also distinguishes generics in their effect from more advanced drugs, whose composition may be different. Differences between generics and the original can exist in the appearance of the drug: if, for example, the developer’s tablet was coated with sugar, this may be omitted in generics and replaced by a sugar-free coating. This can be crucial for people with diabetes, for example. The side effects of the active ingredients of the drug are the same for generics as for the original.
Medical use and application
As long as the patent protection on a drug is valid, there is no alternative to the developer and manufacturer. The assumption of costs by the health insurance company can therefore become an issue. However, if a generic drug is on the market, physicians often prefer to prescribe it rather than the original because it is less expensive. A doctor can only prescribe up to a certain amount within a quarter, which is why generic drugs are very often used, especially in the area of antibiotics. Nowadays, almost only in the research-intensive areas of medicine are there no generics. In almost all other areas, generics are usually prescribed. Originals are the option mainly in cancer treatment or other similar currently researched areas. Antibiotics, creams, ointments, painkillers and similar drugs, on the other hand, are mainly available as generics. In some cases, generics do not require a prescription at all and can be purchased inexpensively from pharmacies as needed.
Risks and side effects
Generic drugs do not have different side effects than the original drug because of the congruent formulation. Which these are, is clear from the package insert of the respective drug. Subtleties such as a different dye in the generic drug than in the original do not trigger different side effects. The biggest risk with generics is that people know generic products exist – but they usually don’t know if they can even be on the market yet. Cheap generics are often offered out of Asia or other parts of the world and marketed as genuine, approved generics, even though patent protection still applies. The consumer thus possibly buys a dangerous drug that is not equal to the original. Especially supposed generics from countries far away from the EU, where other guidelines apply, can therefore be dangerous and contain incomprehensible ingredients that can lead to unexpected risks.
