The scientists, developing new medicines, are concerned not only with the modes of cure of diseases, but they strive to make these medicines cheaper, hence, more available. Production of generics, full copies of branded medicines, became a good solution of this challenge.
Let us take an example. Are there differences between the known-to-everybody aspirin and acetylsalicylic acid?
Of course, there are. Three:
1- Aspirin has been invented and registered by Bayer, a well-known German pharmaceutical company, whereas acetylsalicylic acid, a complete representation of chemical composition of aspirin, is manufactured by several pharmaceutical companies of all over the globe.
2- several million of US dollars were spent for the development of aspirin, whereas the manufacturers of acetylsalicylic acid just copied the formula and confirmed its conformity with tests and trials.
3- manufacturers of aspirin had spent a considerable sum of money before the world knew about its magic properties, whereas due to this matter acetylsalicylic acid became well-known “by itself”.
But a consumer does not dramatize such differences. Price is the main benefit of generic.