A generic manufacturer received tentative approval from the FDA to market at generic version of the cholesterol controlling drug Crestor — a multi-billion dollar product — that’s right, a multi-billion dollar product. Crestor’s manufacturer will likely try to fight off generic competition for as long as possible.
Like so many other issues in medicine, a balance is needed to promote the development of new products while still allowing generics to bring down the cost of treatment. While people can argue about whether or not our current system is optimal, the system has worked rather well. We have so many great products that we didn’t have 20 years ago. As the new products go generic, the medical miracles become even more affordable.
There have been other stories in the news about brand name drug manufacturers paying generic companies to keep the generic off the market. This is unfair. Perhaps there should be a law against it.
[…] It’s unfair to keep generics off the market […]