Why do some medicines/supplements contain the same active chemicals and they are expensive and others are not very expensive?
How do they differ from each other?
Today, we talk about original medicines and their copies – generics.
I will take Adderall as a clear example.
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Is There a Difference Between Brand and Generic Adderall?
Brand or Original Medicine is the one that was first synthesized by some company, studied, patented and released according to the original technology.
Ideally, brand supplements should undergo serious clinical trials.
Adderall appeared in the late 1920s, American chemist Gordon Alles.
As for Adderall, In 2015, a clinical study showed that Adderall in normal healthy adults, when used at low (therapeutic) doses, produces modest but clear improvements in cognitive abilities, including working memory, long-term episodic memory, inhibition control and some aspects of attention.
A generic supplement can be registered and produced only after the expiration of the patent of the original drug, which is usually 15-20 years.
If we take, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, where new medicines appear very quickly, treating them with generic
Adderall means treating with old drugs, realizing that there are more modern and probably more effective ones.
But in cardiology, the situation is different.
Over the past five to ten years, there are just few fundamentally new drugs and people continue to successfully use the old (very good): statins, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, which were created 15-20 years ago, or even more.
Is a Generic Adderall an Official Copy of Brand Adderall?
Generic Adderall is a copied version of original Adderall.
The copied version is based on the same active ingredient as the original, but the production method, the composition of impurities, and fillers may be different.
Generic Adderall is a combination medicine that has four salts of amphetamines.
Generic Adderall is one of the medicines most often used to get positive emotions and detachment from reality.
That is, the degree of correspondence to the original may fluctuate.
Generics are copies and, like any copies, they are different.
Does Brand Name Adderall Work Better?
It is not necessary to assume that any brand of medicine is obviously good.
First of all, you need to look at what molecule underlies it (international nonproprietary name), the second – what evidence of the effectiveness of this molecule exists. And the third question is how this molecule is represented: the brand medicine or its copy, a generic.
For better understanding how brand and generic version work there must be some studies carried.
How are these studies carried out? Healthy people must be selected.
Usually, the studies require 18 people.
Each of them receives a generic tablet, and after a week or two – an original drug tablet.
They take blood samples and see if the drug is distributed equally in the body.
It is believed that if a generic hits the target by 100% plus or minus 5%, then it corresponds to the original.
As a result, it turns out that the compliance of the generic with the original supplement is guaranteed, but … not 100%.
The degree of compliance of the generic supplement with the original supplement is directly proportional to the rigidity of the registration standards.
In the USA, for example, these rules are strict. Passing a low-quality generic there is unlikely. And then periodically there are some scandals.
There are god companies in the USA which produce very decent and worthy generics, although they are not the leaders in the market, because they do not have their own promotion system, a network of medical representatives…
Is Generic Adderall Cheaper than Brand Adderall?
The main, if not the only, advantage of a generic is the price.
Why is a generic drug always cheaper than the brand supplement?
The official point of view is as follows: because an innovative supplement requires a lot of money to create and study. It really is.
But, on the other hand, if this is the reason, all copies would be 10 times cheaper than their originals.
And we see that there are generics that are close in price to the original drug, and there are cheap generics.
Let’s take enalapril, the most prescribed drug for cardiology. There are more than a hundred generics for it.
Final Words of Brand VS Generic Adderall
As for me personally, I try to buy brand Adderall for my relatives and myself.
Not because I don’t trust generics, but because I very often don’t have complete information about them.
But treatment only with the original is economically unfeasible in any country.
So the quality of generics and their huge range must be investigated in each case.
The first when you need to choose a generic variant is to pay attention to the manufacturer.
My advice is very simple: go to the US Food and Drug Administration – FDA website and check if the generic Adderall is registered there. For me, this is always proof that it has passed a tough test.
FAQ
What Brand of Adderall Does CVS Carry?
Adderall XR has CVS Carry.
Can Adderall Be Used For Intended Purpose?
Although it is not approved by the FDA for any condition other than ADHD and narcolepsy, some physicians sometimes prescribe Adderall for other conditions.
Sometimes stimulants, such as Adderall, are used off-label to boost treatment regimens in people who experience depression as part of major depressive or bipolar disorder.
What Can Be Used Instead of Adderall?
There are other types of stimulant drugs that are also used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD other than Adderall. Some of them that perform the same functions as Adderall include:
- Concerta and Ritalin (methylphenidate): Concerta and Ritalin consist of methylphenidate, which is the active ingredient in both drugs. Concerta is an extended release drug, which means that when taken, its active ingredient is slowly released into the body over several hours. It is usually active for 10-12 hours. Ritalin is an immediate-release drug, which means that its active ingredient is released immediately and may last 4 to 6 hours.
- Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine): Dexedrine is also sold under the brand name Dextrostat. Its active ingredient is dextroamphetamine.
