More and more often, for example in the news, we come across the concept of the so-called genereic drugs. What does this term mean and what are generics? They are simply substitutes for “original” drugs.
Generic drugs have the same amount of active substances in their composition as the original drugs. Additional excipients may vary, but may not affect the efficacy and performance of the original drug. In addition, the replacement drugs must be in the same form as the original. For example, if the primary drug is in tablet form, the generic drug must also be in tablets.
Generic drugs are usually cheaper because they are manufactured after the expiry of the patent protection period. When the patent protection ends, the production of a given drug is no longer monopolized by the company that invented it. This allows for the production of the drug also by other players and competition in terms of pricing.
