Generic and Brand-Name Cardiovascular Drugs Compared: No Difference Found (Recent JAMA article)

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Thought this may be useful with regard to our previous discussions:

Generic and Brand-Name Cardiovascular Drugs Compared: No Difference Found

" No evidence of superiority " exists for brand-name cardiovascular drugs over their generic versions, according to a systematic review in JAMA.

Analysts examined some 50 studies published over the past quarter-century that compared clinical outcomes in nine subclasses of cardiovascular drugs (most studies dealt with beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, and warfarin). The clinical outcomes reported in the studies — such as adverse effects, lab values, and vital signs — revealed no difference between generic and proprietary versions.

The findings suggest, say the authors, " that it is reasonable for physicians and patients to rely on FDA bioequivalence rating as a proxy for clinical equivalence among a number of important cardiovascular drugs. "

JAMA article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)