Brand-name heart, blood-pressure drugs not superior to generics

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People who are taking a generic drug to lower blood pressure or ward off stroke and heart troubles can rest easy. Those low-cost alternatives are just as good as more expensive, brand-name drugs, according to Harvard researchers who published a large new analysis of the available data in the Journal of the American Medical Association, according to Health.com.
"We found no evidence that brand-name drugs are superior to generic drugs in terms of the clinical outcomes," says the review's lead author, Aaron S. Kesselheim, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "Doctors should consider generic drugs where appropriate for their patients with cardiovascular disease."
The researchers looked at 47 studies-with 9 different types of cardiovascular-disease drugs-conducted between 1984-2008. The majority of the studies, which included more than 800 patients, looked at four drug types: beta-blockers, which treat high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias; calcium channel blockers, which also lower blood pressure; diuretics, which reduce strain on the heart by boosting fluid output; and warfarin, which prevents clots. When the results were combined, they found no evidence that brand-name drugs were superior to generic versions.
The researchers looked at data from 1984 through the present. In '84, the Hatch-Waxman Act authorized the US Food and Drug Administration to approve generic drugs that are the "bioequivalent" of the brand-name counterparts.
Although that was almost 25 years ago, the perception still exists that generic drugs are inferior to the brand-name version, the authors say. It's a costly assumption, particularly for cardiovascular drugs. As a group, they make up the largest chunk of money spent on outpatient prescriptions.
As prescription-drug costs rise and incomes decline in a weak economy, generic drugs are an increasingly important way to keep costs down-and keep patients taking their medications.
People should feel comfortable taking a generic drug, says Steven Nissen, MD, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. He always prescribes the generic equivalent and points out that many states have laws that mandate the same approach.