Is there a difference between a generic medicine and an originator pharmaceutical?
There is no therapeutic difference between a generic medicine and an originator pharmaceutical. Where there is a difference is on price, where generics are 20% to 80% less expensive than the originator, depending on the national pricing policy and the pricing strategy of originators when facing price competition. Equivalent generic medicines may contain different non-active ingredients (such as colourings, starches, saccharose, etc) which have no therapeutic effect. In certain cases generics and originators may also differ in salts and esters, but these must not affect therapeutic equivalence between the two products. Originator products may also change their non-active ingredients, salts and esters over periods of time.
