Generic or Name Brand: Do You Really Need a Statin Drug?
In June 2006, insurers and government agencies will have the
opportunity to start using an inexpensive generic version of the
cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor instead of the more pricey
Lipitor.
Pfizer, which makes Lipitor, plans to use marketing muscle to
fight the change. They claim that Lipitor has unique benefits
that make it worth the price.
Both Lipitor and Zocor are statin drugs, which are the nation's
best-selling medications. Almost 150 million prescriptions will
be filled this year, with a $16 billion price tag.
Insurers and some cardiologists say that, in many cases,
patients who take the a common dosage of Lipitor, such as 10
milligrams daily, can reduce their cholesterol just as much with
Zocor. Lipitor costs $2 or more a day, whereas generic Zocor
will likely cost 35 cents or less.
The battle over which drug will be prescribed will involve many
of the fundamental forces currently driving American health
care. Prescription drug sales have increased from $40
billionfifteen years agoto almost $250 billion today. But while
many complain about the cost of prescription drugs, patients are
also frequently reluctant to accept generic medicines instead of
more expensive brand-name medications that might be slightly
better.
New York Times October 15, 2005 Registration RequiredThe
(Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger October 15, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:A few months ago I warned you about
Merck's over-the-counter (OTC) statin drug under consideration
by the FDA. It never happened in the US, although it did in the
U.K. with Zocor.
I suspect Pfizer will have a hard time proving Lipitor is worth
the higher price, based on a German study Iran last month that
found it to be no better benefit-wise than other statins and
that it may actually pose worse side effects for patients too.
Please understand that Lipitor isn't the "best" statin drug --
simply the one with the best marketing program.
The fact is, all statins are a "cure" for a symptom, and do
nothing to address the underlying causes of the problem. All
they do is cost you money and put you at riskfor serious and
sometimes life-threatening side effects. If you want to know the
real truth about statins and their dangers, read my past article
The Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs.
You don't need to be taking a statin drug -- a generic or
patented toxic "Band-Aid" -- at all, if you make two basic
lifestyle changes: - Reducing, with the plan of
eliminating, grains and sugars from your diet.
- Starting a
daily exercise program focusing on improving your cardiovascular
system.
These two strategies, properly applied, will normalize
cholesterol in will over 99% of those with "high" cholesterol,
and it will achieve a normal cholesterol level without the use
of potentially toxic and expensive medications or
supplements.