Generic Drug Program

Generic Drugs- A Brief Introduction
Generic Drugs are also known as non-proprietary drugs. Generic drugs are those medicines which are not patented or which have expired patents. To make a better understanding of the term generic drugs, let’s take the example of Paracetamol. Paracetamol is a pain killer which was first synthesized by a pharmaceutical company names Sterling Winthrop Co. in 1953. The drug contained Acetaminophen and was registered in FDA with a patent for its brand name, Paracetamol. Sterling Winthrop Co. acquired the exclusive rights to manufacture this drug and sell it with the registered brand name. When the patent expired, Sterling Winthrop co. lost its exclusive rights and other companies got the liberty to manufacture the drug and market it. Since then Paracetamol is being manufactured and marketed by many companies including Sterling Winthrop Co. Drugs like Paracetamol, which becomes off-patent, falls under the category of generic Drugs. Generic Drugs are lawfully approved by FDA after thorough test, examination, and analyses.