Posted by Cam W. on September 7, 2001, at 1:10:03
In reply to Cam: Generic vs. Original- Placebo effect?, posted by Daveman on September 7, 2001, at 0:52:09
Daveman - I have seen a couple of studies, but not many. I know that there was a clozapine study done recently in the U.S. using generics and Clozaril, showing no difference. This study was in a supplemental (#5) of The Journal of Clinical Pyschiatry, this year.
The reason that no one does (or at least doesn't publish) studies of benzodiazepines is that it would not be cost-efficient. The brand name drug companies (who have the money to do these tests) would do them, and publicize them, if there were any real difference in drug effect.
Also, much of this testing is done by Health Canada (CDN) and the FDA (U.S.) on an ongoing basis, and if the pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) were different in the generic than the brand name drug standards, that lot of generic drugs would not allowed to be sold.
There has been some question as to whether the testing methods of Health Canada and the FDA mimic real life. The case that some researchers make is pretty weak. The study that I have read most recently was in the same supplemental (#5) of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry as the Clozaril/generic study.
I hope that this is of some help. - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:77951
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/78122.html