Difference Between Generic and Brand Name Drugs

Generic vs Brand Name Drugs

Generic drug and brand name drug are two classifications for drugs. When we get sick, we inevitably buy medicines to make us all better and restore all our functions before the sickness transpired. So we either opt for generic or brand name drugs. What is the difference between these two so one can decide what to buy?

Generic Drugs

Generic Drugs are made to be manufactured when the expiration of the patent life of a certain brand name drug is made into fruition. The drug must be generally bioequivalent in comparison to the brand name product as they are expected to contain similar active ingredients as well as the dosage form, dose and the manner in which they will be taken. (e.g. 500 mg, etc.)

Brand Name Drugs

Brand name drugs are those that a pharmaceutical company made from scratch. The company must have this patented. Prior to manufacturing or selling the product, they must submit a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration. Once the FDA made all the necessary steps to ensure the drug’s safety, the company can now have this product become a brand name as long as it is patent protected.

Difference between Generic and Brand Name Drugs

Generic drugs are inevitably made once its’ brand name’s counterpart’s patent protection is already expired; brand name drugs are the ones made originally by a pharmaceutical company and are sold under a patent protection. Generic drugs are relatively cheaper; whereas, brand name drugs are a tad expensive because they are sold exclusively by the company that developed them. While generic drugs cannot be sold without the permission of the company that developed the brand name counterpart, brand name drugs have an inherent patent protection that can last up to twenty years.

So these two drugs might be similar in some ways but in close inspection they are really different from the time they were made.