Yesterday, the FDA approved a generic version of olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic that had been approved for use in treating bipolar mania. Olanzapine is somewhat better known under its (former) brand name, Zyprexa. A generic version of a medication is a version over which no one holds a patent, and therefore, the cost of the medication will be significantly cheaper than the cost of the patented medication. When combined with fluoexatine, olanzapine is one of the few medications approved for treating bipolar depression. It has been shown to be dangerous for elderly patients with dementia, and its side-effects include weight gain and high blood sugar, among others. The FDA statement can be found here
Commentary
Public Domain
Several atypical antipsychotics are slated to become generic within the next year, including ziprasidone and quetiapine. This will provide bipolar patients without a lot of money to be able to more easily access atypical antipsychotics if those medications work well for them. In turn, lower financial incentives will mean that there will be less pressure for physicians to sell these medications from the companies that produce them. Eli Lilly, the company that produced Zyprexa, was fined $1.4 billion in 2009 for marketing Zyprexa for off-label use (though use for bipolar disorder is not off-label), as shown in this
press release from the Department of Justice. Finally, with a market full of generic drugs, there will be less financial incentive to develop new medications for bipolar disorder.
In other words, these generic drugs will significantly change the face of bipolar medications.
Related posts:
- Abilify Approved in Canada for Use in Some Teens
- Mylan and Teva Now Producing Generic Quetiapine (Seroquel)
- AstraZeneca’s Suit to Stall Generic Versions of Quetiapine (Seroquel) Dismissed
- Bipolar Medication Costs Expected To Fall
- Growth of Prescription Drug Costs Slowest in Twenty Years
