Budeprion XL 300 mg, a generic version of the widely-prescribed Wellbutrin XL 300 mg, appears to not perform as well in the lab as the original name-brand version, according to Consumer Lab.com. You can read the full story on MSNBC.
Generic drugs are supposed to be the same formulation as the name-brand drug, and are usually offered at significant price breaks, making them very attractive to consumers. However, in recent years, more and more reports have surfaced about whether generic versions of drugs offer the same level of quality control on ingredients to ensure people are receiving the same medication. Because the only real difference in the drugs is not how they are manufactured, but by whom (and what type of quality assurance procedures they use versus the original manufacturer).
Marc Goshko, executive director of legal affairs at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which sells Budeprion XL 300 mg, says the drug met all requirements of the Food and Drug Administration, including showing that the drug performed similarly to the brand in the lab and also was released into the bloodstream of healthy volunteers at the same rate. He did not cite specifics of that research.
Of course, at any one particular moment in time, a manufacturing plant may very well produce the exact same formulation of a drug. However, since drug companies are not required to keep showing the FDA that the drug is still just as effective 3 years or 8 years into production, it’s easy to look for ways to cut costs. One of those areas is often quality assurance. Instead of checking 10 of every 1,000 pills, a manufacturer might check only 10 of every 10,000 pills.
My mom used to work in manufacturing at a well-known company that produced medical supplies, including certain drugs. What she saw in her decades working there would not surprise anyone who’s ever actually worked in a manufacturing plant. While these things are supposed to be well-regulated, they tend not to be in practice.
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Quit Smoking » Generic Wellbutrin May Not Perform as Well as Original (10/13/2007)
Papi Media Test Blog » Blog Archive » Generics: Just as Good? (3/23/2008)
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7 Comments to
“Generic Wellbutrin May Not Perform as Well as Original”
I’d be interested to know whether they have done a randomised double blind control trial on generic vs brand medication just to rule out placebo effect on the anecdotal reports…
(I get that they have found that generic sometimes releases differently from brand - but once the placebo effect is controlled for we would have a better idea of how much that is likely to alter things).
It could be a ‘you get what you pay for’ kind of a response…
I belong to a number of online health forum and this issue has come up repeatedly over the years. People who took brand name Wellbutrin for years have to switch over to the generic due to insurance or other financial reasons. The first thing they notice is this generic is no where near the potency of the original and they now have a higher amount of side effects then ever before. My doctor made sure that the hospital would provide the “real stuff” as all of his experience with the generic has been nothing but negative.
I also have noticed a significant amount of side effects from the generic wellbutrin like tremors and shakiness and feeling like my heart is pounding and my resting pulse rate around 100 instead of my normal 70-80. I also get a “floating” feeling, similar to how you can feel after taking sudafed. I actually stopped taking the medication due to the side effects but my depression returned and now I’m making the choice to deal with the side effects and not the depression… not a good choice.
My insurance company upped the co-pay of Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. Against my doctor’s wishes, I went on generic Bupropion. I honestly feel a symptoms gap in biosimilarity between the original and generic. With the generic, I began sweating more and waking up earlier. Colleagues have notice that my hands have tremors. I’ve definitely noticed a difference. Next refill, I’m going back on the real thing. I can’t afford to lose the benefits I had with Wellbutrin XL.
yesterday I tried generic wellbutrin for the first time and it made me feel really weird and not a good weird. I will not be taking it and I plan on telling my doctor about, I guess I should write to my insurance company too. The price difference for me is incredible 10 for generic and 60 for name brand! sick huh?
I recently discussed my concerns about the generic with my doctor. When she heard what I was experiencing she was shocked (dizziness, tremors, insomnia). She put me back on the brand and I have been back to normal ever since. My insurance requires more co-pay for the brand but the extra money is worth it to me.
I previously took Wellbutrin to help over the death of a close friend. I found it quite beneficial without side effects. I recently began taking the generic. Within three doses, my resting pulse went into the 100s. I became hypertensive. I had resting tremors, insomnia, and cardiac beat changes. I am a medical professional, so I had access to a BP cuff with that can detect abnormal heart beats. Monitor yourself closely when starting any new medications. Stop them immediately if you notice significant side effects.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 13 Oct 2007
