Many drugs on the market today are available in both name brand and generic versions. Because generic versions are often significantly less expensive than their name brand equivalents, many patients are attracted to generic options. A growing number of insurance companies require pharmacies to fill prescriptions with generic options, when available.
When a pharmaceutical company develops a drug, it applies for a patent on the drug's specific molecular formula. These patents last 17-20 years (depending on when the drug was patented). During this "patent protected" period, the company that developed the drug essentially owns all rights to that drug. Only that one company is allowed to manufacture, market, and sell the drug. This patent protection is important for pharmaceutical companies, which can easily spend billions of dollars to develop, test, and begin production of a new drug. The patent period allows a "protected" stretch of time during which the company can earn this money back and, ultimately, turn a profit. Drugs sold during the patent protected period are only available as "name brand" versions.
In general, brand names have nothing to do with the actual name of the drug. They're just catchy words. Generic drugs are called by the actual drug name. Thus, name brand Toprol (a common hypertension drug known as a beta blocker) is also available in generic form as metoprolol.
When a drug's patent protection ends, the molecular formula of the drug becomes a matter of public record, and other companies are allowed to begin manufacturing the drug. Depending on the potential market for the drug, one or more other companies may begin making their own version of the drug. These drugs, which are called by their generic name, are typically much cheaper, because the companies making them don't have to recoup any research and development costs, just the investment required to set up a production line to actually make the substance.
Usually, the company that originally developed the drug will continue to produce and market its name brand version even after generic versions become available. Sometimes, the original company will actually sell the drug under both the brand and generic names.
To make matters even more complicated, sometimes companies that begin making a drug after the patent has expired will actually give the drug a new name brand and market it that way.
By law, generic drugs must contain the same active ingredients as name brand versions. So, a 25mg pill of Toprol contains 25mg of the active ingredient metoprolol. A 25mg pill of metoprolol also contains 25mg of metoprolol. In this sense, generic and name brand drugs are exactly the same. The law, however, does not specify much else about the formulation of generic drugs. All pills contain the active ingredient, plus other, inactive ingredients. The inactive ingredients are usually things like binders, coloring agents, and stabilizers. These ingredients are used to adjust pill size, color, and properties like how fast it dissolves in the stomach. These inactive ingredients usually vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Because they are inactive, these extra ingredients don't have any effect on the actual "drug" component of the pill.
Many large studies have been done comparing name brand and generic drugs, and they have continually found that both versions provide the same therapeutic benefit. Most drugs for high blood pressure are available as generic equivalents.
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