Generic Finasteride vs Name Brand Propecia
Hi Doc,
Had a couple of questions; Been following your blog for sometime now and had a few concerns. Hopefully you can answer them.
I have been on finasteride for approximately 3 months, till now I can say that maybe I have noticed some thickening at the most. Anyways I wanted to ask you if you think the generic version from pharmascience should be ok. I have attached a link of their website: Pharmascience.com.
The reason I ask is that I have read many entries on your blog, and some people seem to claim that they did not have results from the generic but then started using brand name and things changed. Is there a reason to worry or should I be alright with this particular brand of generic finasteride?? (again from the company pharmascience which to my knowledge is one of the biggest and reputable generic drug makers here in Canada)
Also you mentioned that some of your lucky few patients have had continued results/benefits for well over a decade. Were these patients SOLELY on finasteride?? and at what stage of balding did they begin to take the medication, and have you had any one with such incredible results who started in their mid 20’s? and have continued to see benefits??
thanks
Pharmascience is a large Canadian drug maker, and I’d expect their generic 1mg finasteride to be the same as the name brand Propecia. The excipients (fillers/binders/coatings) used in generics might be different from the name brand, but the active ingredient is the same. I can’t explain why some people believe they see results from the name brand and not the generic, unless perhaps the generic is fake or the power of suggestion is at play.
As for your 2nd question, some of the patients that come to mind that have been on Propecia with benefits for over a decade are solely on that medication. It’s possible they’ve tried other medications/treatments, but I can’t be with them every day and I have to take them at their word. Patients that have started Propecia when they have early genetic hair loss starting to show, often have had the best results.
Each person is different though, so if you’re fishing for some sort of confirmation that your results will be incredible, all I can do is send you good thoughts (and no promises). Talk to your prescribing doctor about what he/she thinks, and be sure to get your hair bulk analyzed before starting the drug, then follow up in a year or so for another bulk analysis to see what the finasteride has done. Remember, it takes a year to see reasonable results.
Health Canada’s Therapeutics Products Directorate – the regulatory equivalent of the FDA in the United States- regulates generic drugs and ensures that they have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form, and route of administration as the brand name product (although inactive ingredients may differ). Pharma Science is an established Canadian pharmaceutical company that is under the auspices of these regulations. This is in contrast to the following, which may occur singly or in combination: a) some internet drug sales improperly operate outside of the country’s regulatory environment (this even occurs in the Unites States, as evidence by last years FDA closure of minoxidil.com, which was selling unapproved generics – and in different combinations – outside of regulatory standards and approval, or b) internet drug sales of generics from countries that do not have regulatory standards (buyer beware).
Hi, Dr rasman hope you can reply to this comment. You mentioned 1MG generic from pharmascience. I use the 5MG cut into quarters. Haven’t you mentioned repeatedly that 1MG is still under patent and any 1MG generic is technically illegal??
thanks
f,
patents differ from country to country. In Canada, Pharma Science is legally able to sell generic finasteride 1 mg, which is underscored by its approval from Health Canada’s Therapeutics Products Directorate.
http://www.smart-biggar.ca/newsletters/RxIPUpdate_Jun10.pdf