Academic com
September 22, 2020
- aca-demic.com
Choosing between brand-name and Generic Levitra
According to survey data, over 80% Americans prefer generic drugs over brand ones and over 85% of all prescriptions issued by doctors are for unbranded generics. After Bayer Pharmaceuticals’ patent for Levitra had expired in 2018, generic vardenafil also became available to patients with erectile dysfunction.
Only up to 13% respondents in the US believe that generic drugs are inferior to brand names in terms of effectiveness and safety. A 2017 study by a group of Canadian scientists suggested that generics were more likely to cause unwanted side effects. This point of view was countered by David A. Alter and the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, among others, who showed that the study was based on imperfect evidence.
In order to be approved for release into the market, generic medications must be bioequivalent to the original drug. This means that up to 20% variation is allowed but, according to Dr. Niteesh K. Choudhry of Harvard Medical School, the average showing is much lower at 4%. This is in line with the results of the 2019 bioequivalence study carried out in Germany. It was proven that a Levitra generic by Actavis Ltd. was bioequivalent to Bayer’s Levitra at over 96%.
read more: aca-demic.com/choosing…
