Brand Drugs vs Generic Drugs.

[sam-]

What are the differences in their technicality, is the Brand one safer, I appreciates if someone can provide a link for that.

Because I'm considring starting taking Propecia but I've seen some people saying the same effects can be obtained by Finpecia at a lower price, can someone provide a link to a study showing that Finpecia is safe to use and has the same Propecia effects.

Thanks in advance.
SAM

 

[ACT10Npack]

Do not get Finpecia, it's make in India and you can't truth what your taking over there. If you want to save money than use Proscar. It's the same drug but it's in a 5MG format instead of 1MG. It's also made by the same company Merck. So you can truth what you get from it.

DO NOT GET FINPECIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sam-]

Mr. ACT10.

Dear ACT10,

Can you provide me a link saying that taking Proscar (which has 5Mg Finasteride) and cutting it into 5 pieces, has the same effects as of 1 normal Propecia.
Theoreticaly it should work, but what if there are other ingredients that can not be divided ?

 

[Rage]

There's no other active ingredient in propercia/proscar except finasteride. I'm assuming that you mean varying dosage due to the fact that you can't cut exactly into 1/5 and finasteride may not be perfectly distributed in the tablet? There's no link, because only a fool of a company would want people to buy the cheaper product.

Well, you can always do the alchohol trick - dissolve Proscar completely into your favourite spirit and measure it out Or you could realise that large variation of dosage may not effect serum DHT levels much at all. (google competitive inhibitor kinetics).




Back on topic - I would choose Proscar over Finpecia anyday. The price is not very different at all.

 

[silkeysmooth]

rage, are you a proscar dividing finasteride user? and have had no problems with the small variations in dosage?

 

[Molecular Help]

What sort of problems could their be? Sometimes you cut them up perfect, sometimes their a little off. Any observable problem one can have using finasteride like side effects, sheds, or lack of efficacy can't be accurately linked to dosage levels. There's too many other variables at play- all of those can happen on propecia at any point in treatment.

 

[ShedMaster]

Sam, I understand your concern as a newbie, but rest assured that proscar is exactly 5mg of the heralded finasteride, which of course is propecia. The pills are formed from huge vats of the drug ensuring equal distribution of the ingredients.

 

[misterium]

What's wrong with Cipla finasteride ?

All I see is that "it's made in India! You can't trust it!"

That is akward to me.

Surely you have some more reliable technical information than simple opinion ?

 

[Rage]

rage, are you a proscar dividing finasteride user? and have had no problems with the small variations in dosage?

no problems at all ! Then again, have never taken propecia..

 

[Guest]

Rage

rage do you cut it into 4 and take 1.25 a day, how do you do it?

 

[youngguy_uk]

i use propecia over proscar. its a brand thing. you know, like versace over walmart.

the chicks dig my merck.

 

[Koala]

Honestly, it just depends on the company that makes the generic drugs.

There seems to be a lot of debate on this board and other hair loss boards about whether Cipla's brand of Finpecia and Fincar is authentic.

I’m only going to bring up a few points and the rest you can speculate amongst each other.

1. World Health Organization, University of Montpellier, and Doctors without Borders have both tested and approved Cipla’s generic version of the HIV/AIDS “cocktailâ€

 

[JWM]

Good post Koala.

 

[sam-]

To all:

well, no one yet convinced me of using generic drugs, and I don't want to risk my health on cheap drugs, after all no one knows what are the side effects of Finpecia, and it seems no one started using it from beginning, most of those switched from Propecia to Finpecia for cost perpose.

so I'm thinking of stating the following on September (daily for one complate year):
1) Propecia from Merck Co.
2) Tricomin.
3) Nizoral 2%.

I will update you regularly.
SAM

 

[Koala]

Finpecia will give you the same exact side effects that Propecia will give you. Propecia and Finpecia are both 1mg of Finasteride.

 

[ACT10Npack]

Sorry youngguy_uk but your wrong about Proscar and Propecia. There not too difference companies. Which is why people use Proscar over Propecia because it's cheaper than Propecia and it's made by the same company, Merck.

Although I do use Propecia over Proscar because my presribles is for Propecia and I don't truth online stores for finasteride. Then though I get Nizoral online, but I use Nizoral as something to help more with Propecia but the the main thing that is keeping my hair. Also I hear a lot of people switch over to Proscar and hair started to loss hair. Don't know why that would happen.

 

[sam-]

Generic Pharmaceutical Association.

I've found this interesting site "Generic Pharmaceutical Association" http://www.gphaonline.org, they are stating even the Generic product should get FDA approval:

The Food and Drug Administration requires that the generic pharmaceutical manufacturer must prove that their generic version of the product:

* contains the same active ingredient.
* is identical in strength, dosage form and route of administration.
* has the same indications, dosing and labeling.
* is bioequivalent.
* meets the same batch-to-batch requirements for strength, purity and quality.
* is manufactured under the same strict good manufacturing practice regulations as the branded pharmaceutical.



I've emailed them inquiring about Cipla.

 

[KrazyK]

I wouldn't mess with a non-brand name finasteride product. If your looking for cheaper I'd definately go for the Proscar and split it. Does anyone know when the FDA would allow generic finasteride to be produced and sold in US pharmacies?

 

[Koala]

I wouldn't mess with a non-brand name finasteride product. If your looking for cheaper I'd definately go for the Proscar and split it. Does anyone know when the FDA would allow generic finasteride to be produced and sold in US pharmacies?

Not sure on Propecia's 17 years are over with, but Proscar will go generic mid 2005. So does it really matter when Propecia will go generic?

 

[sam-]

Reply from Generic Pharmaceutical Association.

I've received this reply from The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (http://www.gphaonline.org):

"In a review of FDA's "Orange Book", the FDA's listing of all approved drugs in the United States, it does not list any approved equivalents for Propecia. This listing was current as of July 2004. I cannot confirm whether the Cipla product in question may have been approved since the Orange Book was last updated. If not, it would not be considered to be an approved drug product for marketing in the United States. I am unable to comment on the safety of the product since it is not the subject of a US approval."




what do you think guys ?

I've started #2 & #3, and final decision on Propecia vs Finpecia on mid-september.
1) Propecia (99%), or Finpecia (1%).
2) Tricomin.
3) Nizoral 2%.

SAM