Generic Drug News and Research

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Generic Drugs are official nonbrand names by which medicines are known. Generic names usually refer to the chemical name of the drug.

India passes the drug Patent Bill

India's parliament passed a new law Wednesday, the Patent (Amendment) Bill, prohibiting the copying of patented drugs, despite strong criticism that the legislation would prohibit the manufacture of low-cost generic drugs.

23 Mar 2005

'Flanking generics' helps pharmas hold market share

Pharmaceutical companies are finding innovative new strategies to retain market share after drug patent expiration. One of the most successful of these new strategies appears to be 'flanking.' Under this strategy, brand-name drug companies sign licensing agreements with their generic competitors to establish manufacturer- distributor relationships.

23 Mar 2005

Ranbaxy files additional Anti-Retroviral (ARV) agents with the World Health Organization

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (RLL) announced today that the Company has made two additional filings of its Anti-Retroviral (ARV) agents with the World Health Organization (WHO) for its approval, taking the total number of Ranbaxy ARV filings submitted with the WHO to five.

23 Mar 2005

Indian production of cheap generic drugs could be banned

To ensure India meets World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules on the production of drugs, the Indian Parliament has approved legislation by the parliament's lower house, to ban domestic firms from manufacturing low-cost generic copies of patented drugs.

22 Mar 2005

Are sources of affordable generic medicines drying up?

India should ensure global access to medicines when implementing its patent law.

16 Mar 2005

Cough medicine may cause seizures

Canadian consumers are being advised by Health Canada not to use specific brands of a generic cough syrup that could possibly result in seizures for children under three years of age.

14 Mar 2005

New biocentre which will revolutionise the way future medicines are produced

The University of Manchester has been awarded £6m to open a new biocentre which will revolutionise the way future medicines are produced – making them safer and more effective.

From The University of Manchester 14 Mar 2005

First study to show cost-effectiveness of pre-diabetes intervention

More than 40 million Americans face a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and it would cost a lot to give all of them intensive help with diet and exercise, or medication, to keep them from developing diabetes.

28 Feb 2005

Methylphenidate linked to chromosomal changes

In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities—occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.

27 Feb 2005

Second-generation Antidepressants

A recent article in the prestigious British Medical Journal seems to confirm an increased risk for suicidal behavior among adults taking popular antidepressants. This follows evidence that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have a similar effect among children and adolescents.

27 Feb 2005

WHO announces $2 billion gap in financing for AIDS treatment

Today, at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report showing a "rapid expansion" in the number of people living in poor countries gaining access to life-saving AIDS treatment.

26 Jan 2005

Tentative approval of co-packaged lamivudine/zidovudine fixed dose combination tablets and nevirapine tablets

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the tentative approval of a co-packaged antiretroviral drug regimen manufactured by Aspen Pharmacare of South Africa for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults.

26 Jan 2005

Researchers have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus

Researchers funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus, which causes the fatal neurological disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

17 Jan 2005

First deceleration in U.S. national health spending growth in seven years

The pace of health spending growth slowed in 2003, marking the first deceleration in national health spending growth in seven years, a report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary shows. The annual report is published in the January/February 2005 issue of Health Affairs.

12 Jan 2005

Ranbaxy files anti-retrovirals (ARVs) to the U.S. FDA

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (Ranbaxy) announced today that the Company has so far made three filings of its Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs) to the U.S. FDA for its approval under the expedited review process of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

10 Jan 2005

Government should plough drug savings into Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Doctors and medicine-makers today called for an expected $280 million Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) windfall to be ploughed into bringing down the price of new cancer and HIV drugs.

9 Jan 2005

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age women

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age women, produces a wide variety of body changes with both physical and emotional implications for sufferers.

3 Jan 2005

Public health advisory for the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public Health Advisory summarizing the agency's recent recommendations concerning the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products (NSAIDs), including those known as COX-2 selective agents.

23 Dec 2004

The burgeoning Indian AIDS epidemic

India, home to one-sixth of the human race, has an AIDS epidemic. Five million Indians are living with HIV infection. The stakes are high; the government is racing against time.

21 Dec 2004

Tentative approval for Topiramate Tablets

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals announced tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market Topiramate Tablets, 25 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg. Total annual market sales for Topiramate were $1,184 million with sales of these three strengths of tablets totaling $1,129 million.

20 Dec 2004