Patent ending on Propecia next week?

[FollicullarlyHopeful]

I read in other sites as well as on the FDA site that the patent for Propecia ends next week on Nov. 5th. I have not been able to find any recent discussion on this in this forum (but if I missed it, I apologize). Has anyone heard of any reputable US generics that are ready and just waiting for the official end of Merck's patent?

[TakingThePlunge]

Generic 1mg finasteride become available in the US several months ago. We reported on this back in March.

 

Generic Propecia is Now Available in the US

 

However, when it became available, Dr. Reddy's had a 180 day exclusive that probably kept prices higher until about July. I haven't checked lately what the cost is.

[FollicullarlyHopeful]

Thanks David, I didn't realize it was approved that long ago, so I didn't search that far back. I just checked Costco prices and generic propecia is about half the cost of name brand, but still expensive. 100 days of generic is $134. Eqivalent 100 days of cut up proscar brand is $112, which is what I'm taking now. If brand name Propecia is not an option for me, due to price, would it be better to get brand name proscar, or get generic propecia (or just get generic proscar)? I hear mixed reviews on each. I of course like the price of generic proscar the best, but want to make sure I'm getting something effective. Have heard Proscar brand is more likely to work than generic but also heard that cutting up pills can oxidize the pills quickly and also that potentially all of the active ingredient could be in just one section of the pill, so the other 3 days you may be only getting a placebo. Lots of confusing info. found.

[TakingThePlunge]

My opinion is that as long as you purchase your drugs from a reputable source, generic finasteride is just as effective as name brand. I was using generic Proscar (5mg finasteride) before I quit and it certainly affected my system in ways that would lead me to believe that it was doing exactly what it was supposed to do.

 

While it's true that the active ingredient is not evenly distributed within the pill, the small difference in dose is not likely to be of concern when taken daily. Studies have shown that 0.5mg dose is nearly as effective.

 

I too have heard about the risk of oxidation once the protective shell of the tablet is breached. For that reason I recommend cutting only one pill a time rather than the entire supply at once. Also note that women who are or may become pregnant should not handle cut tablets due to the risk of birth defects.

Edited November 1, 2013 by David - TakingThePlunge

[uribo]

Glad to see its finally available. Have to weigh whether to buy online or just go regular pharmacy now.