Generic Drugs

In the contentious debate over insuring Americans' health, the value of generic prescription drugs is a rare point of consensus. Patients, physicians, employers, politicians -- all hail generics as powerful treatment for a swelling healthcare tab. On average, these copycat medicines cost less than a third of the brand-name drugs they mimic. In turn, the competition they provide drives down the cost of those first-to-market drugs.

Re "Fed looks to rein in lenders," Dec. 19 Time was when banks earned whatever success they enjoyed through conservative investment of their assets to home buyers and others by way of mortgages and similar instruments. The key was the size of their assets. Now, in search of highly leveraged profits, banks are the borrowers, lending funds far in excess of what they have. And they borrow from sources that have borrowed from God-only-knows where, an endless chain across the world.

Re "Generic drugs' hidden downside," Opinion, Dec. 17 Naomi Wax had a poor response from generic Zoloft and cites the example of another brand-name medication (Wellbutrin XL 300) that has had problems with its generic counterpart. In this case, the generic may release the active ingredient more quickly, which could result in more side effects and lower efficacy for some patients. But Wax was using a generic version of an immediate-release drug that would not have similar issues.

IT'S A DRAG when you suffer from depression. And it's really a drag when the medication you've been treating your depression with effectively for years suddenly leaves you feeling anxious, nauseated or even suicidal. Even more of a drag? When you realize those symptoms began when you switched from your brand-name antidepressant to its generic version.

Physicians may be losing their lock on Americans' medicine cabinets. For years, consumers have had two options at the drugstore. They could either show up with a doctor's prescription or settle for less powerful medications sold over the counter. Now the Food and Drug Administration is considering creating a different option, a class of medicines dubbed behind-the-counter drugs.

The Supreme Court turned down an appeal by Pfizer Inc. aimed at preventing the sale of a generic version of Norvasc, its bestselling drug for high blood pressure. The New York-based pharmaceutical firm had asked the court to overturn an appeals court ruling this year that its patent was invalid. The case began when Apotex, based in Winnipeg, Canada, challenged Pfizer's patent in 2003, requesting that regulators allow it to sell a generic version of the drug.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. added 24 prescriptions to a list of $4 generic drugs to lure more customers into its pharmacies and said it would consider a 90-day prescription program.

Generic medicine maker Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported a second-quarter profit Thursday and said its retiring chief executive would be succeeded by a manager from a rival company. Net income was $36.4 million, or 33 cents a share, contrasted with a loss of $15.6 million, or 15 cents, a year earlier after costs to write down the value of two drugs, Watson said. Separately, the company said Paul Bisaro, chief operating officer of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.

RECENTLY, managed-care insurance companies have been increasing their pressure on me and other doctors to change patients over to generic alternatives to some of our most popular drugs. On the surface, this would appear to be a good idea, one that saves money and thus should be a primary consideration when prescribing drugs. Sometimes it is -- but not always. It had taken me several years to convince Roger to take Lipitor (atorvastatin), a cholesterol-lowering medication.

Walgreen Co.'s fiscal second-quarter earnings rose 25%, more than analysts estimated, on increased sales of more-profitable generic drugs. Net income climbed to $651.9 million, or 65 cents a share, from $523.5 million, or 51 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast profit of 61 cents at the largest U.S. drugstore chain. Sales at Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen rose 15% to $13.9 billion.