Cheaper Paxil Alternative Approved by FDA
If patients or doctors have been looking for a cheaper alternative for the antidepressant drug Paxil (paroxetine), one has just been approved by the FDA. According to reports by Synthon Pharmaceuticals, the FDA has approved paroxetine mesylate as an alternative antidepressant medication to Paxil.
Synthon has stated that the medicinal mixture for paroxetine mesylate is going to be as much as 30-40 percent cheaper than Paxil, which costs as much as $3 per pill. At first, this may sound like a benefit; however, Synthon’s drug will have similar adverse side effects as Paxil.
"Competition and choice bring savings," Synthon president William Taylor says, "and those savings will allow patients, payers and governments to stretch limited healthcare resources as far as possible."
The spokesman for Synthon, Greg Howard, has told Local Tech Wire that Glaxo is making accusations against them for copyright infringement and that Synthon is currently seeking to have the case dismissed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The hearing for that case occurred 45 days ago and the company is content that they will get a dismissal. As for the new drug, Synthon is hoping to have it reach the marketplace by the fourth quarter this year.
Paxil (paroxetine) is an antidepressant drug that has been linked to various side effects, including aggressive and suicidal thoughts and behavior as well as birth defects such as oral clefts, PPHN and neural tube defects. These serious side effects have caused many patients to file lawsuits against the makers of Paxil amid claims that the company didn’t properly warn the public or healthcare professionals of the dangers linked to the drug. With a new and cheaper version of the drug available, Synthon may be biting off more than it expected, since more lawsuits may occur from patients and their families.
