More generic drugs on the way

Continuing its efforts to make low-cost drugs more widely accessible, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to the generic versions of two drugs.

The FDA has given the nod to Indian pharmaceutical firm Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd for producing the generic version of Cefprozil. Cefprozil is an antibiotic that fights infections in case of tonsillitis, sinusitis and other such illnesses. Bristol Myers Squibb manufactures Cefprozil under the brand name Cefzil. Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary will be responsible for producing and marketing the drugs. The drug will be sold as tablets of 250mg and 500mg and is likely to hit the market in early 2007.

Meanwhile, the FDA also gave the go-ahead to the first generic version of Wellbutrin XL. Wellbutrin XL tablets are Bupropion Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets that are mainly prescribed to treat major depressive disorder. GlaxoSmithKline manufactures Wellbutrin XL but now Anchen Pharmaceuticals Inc, from California, USA, will be able to produce the generic version of the drug as 150mg and 300mg tablets.

In a blow to the FDA’s generic drugs program, a non-profit organization has released a report stating that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) prefers brand-name drugs to treat HIV/AIDS patients instead of generic drugs. The Center for Public Integrity claims that as the brand-name drugs are more expensive, the program is not able to treat as many patients as it could have if it had obtained generic antiretroviral drugs.

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