Generic medicines are licensed on bioequivalence to the innovator compound and, in the USA, must meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for manufacture and labelling. By replicating essential medicines that are off patent, generics save both lives and money. Benefits include the expansion abroad of antiretroviral treatment by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and, at home, US$4 per month prescriptions for many generics. More than 80% of prescriptions in the USA are now generic, a trend credited with last year's 1% drop in prescription spending.
展开▼
