Effexor - Generically Misinformed
This week, the FDA gave the go-ahead for manufacturers to begin producing generic formulations of the popular antidepressant Effexor XR (extended release). Prized because the XR version doesn't give its effects in a single heavy dose, leading to periods of highs and lows, this medication is being declared by FDA official Dr. Keith Webber as an example of the FDA's commitment to ensuring wider access to "safe and effective" medications.
While there is no doubt that in the great majority of cases Effexor XR is indeed safe for use, there are many concerns about it that have not yet been answered. The same article that quotes Webber on the “safety” of Effexor XR states that it carries serious labeling warnings about the potential for the medicine to aggravate suicidal thoughts during the first months of its use, particularly among teens and younger people prescribed the medication.
A medicine goes “generic” when the patents on the original formulation expire. This frees manufacturers other than the original developer to produce and sell their own versions of the medicine. However, only the original formula is open onto the market. But between the original development of a medicine and the patents expiring, a number of additions and modifications may have been introduced into the drug line.
As an example, consider Yaz and its generic formulation, Gialla. Gialla's manufacturer ended up in court claiming that it was identical to Yaz when this wasn't the case — Gialla did not have Yaz' shelf-life-extending technology added to its formula. The article announcing Effexor XR's release to generic manufacture stresses that it might not be identical to the name-brand formula.
This creates a two-level problem with the generic formulation and the information the public has about it. Allowing a drug to go generic might suggest the mindset that since more people are allowed to make it, it must be entirely safe. Then there's the perception that “generics are the same, but cheaper,” which could lead to a lack of critical thought about the medicine and its additives.
This blog urges everyone who's been prescribed Effexor XR or will be prescribed one of the generic reproductions of the medicine to read all the warning literature and speak candidly with their doctor about all possibilities.
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