Brand-Name Heart Drugs Can't Beat Generics

Generic drugs to treat heart disease do just as well as brand-name medicines, according to a new report.

A news release noted that, while drug makers like to sell expensive, brand-name drugs, health insurance companies and patients often want to save with the generic versions.

Some patients and physicians have expressed concern that generic drugs may not work as well. So a team from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School reviewed 47 articles published from 1984 to 2008 to look for differences.

Thirty-eight of the studies were randomized, controlled trials, which are considered the most exact way to perform research. In all but three of those, there were no differences found between the drugs.

The studies covered a variety of heart medicines, including beta-blockers, diuretics and statins.

Despite that, editorials filed with the studies argued against using generic drugs about half of the time.

"One explanation for this discordance between the data and editorial opinion is that commentaries may be more likely to highlight physicians' concerns based on anecdotal experience or other nonclinical trial settings," the authors of the new review wrote. "Another possible explanation is that the conclusions may be skewed by financial relationships of editorialists with brand-name pharmaceutical companies, which are not always disclosed."

Overall, they wrote, doctors and patients can rely on the Food and Drug Administration's assurances that a generic version really is the same as a brand-name drug.

The review is published in the Dec. 3 issue of JAMA.