What is a generic drug?

Generic drugs refer to drugs produced by other pharmaceutical factories with the same active ingredients, dosage forms, routes of administration and therapeutic effects as the original drugs after the patent protection period of drugs. These drugs are similar to the original drugs in efficacy and safety, but their prices are usually lower, providing consumers with more economical treatment options.

The research, development and production of generic drugs are strictly regulated and need to follow international and domestic drug quality standards. When producing generic drugs, pharmaceutical companies must prove that their products are similar to the original drugs in bioequivalence to ensure the consistency of clinical effects. This will help to ensure the safety and effectiveness of generic drugs and provide patients with reliable treatment programs.

For example, when the patent protection period of a patented drug expires, other pharmaceutical companies can apply to the drug regulatory authorities to produce generic drugs of the drug. Once these generic drugs are approved, they can be sold in the market, and the prices are often much lower than those of the original drugs. This helps to reduce medical costs and enable more patients to get the treatment they need.

In a word, generic drugs are an economical, safe and effective treatment option after the protection period of patented drugs ends. They have the same effective components and curative effects as the original drugs, but the price is more close to the people, providing patients with a wider range of treatment options.