Subverting the patent system is big PhARMA’s area of excellence. Watch for new OTC Prevacid (lansoprazole). Novartis, the company with the patented version, will be releasing an OTC (so called “generic”) version shortly. They will be touting their drug in a $200,000,000 yes 200 million dollar ad campaign. Care to guess who pays for the advertising?
Medicynical Note: Branded generics drugs cost more than true generics given the costs of advertising as noted above and the company’s high profit expectation. Novartis has already handsomely profited from a generation long government sanctioned monopoly on the drug. They now want more! Greed, remember, is good.
The challenge is to encourage consumers use of approved non brand name generics in the face of deceptive advertising and hype. It is America’s version of the shell game. Now you see it, your money, and now you don’t–if you fall for their hype)
Medicynic 