The American Journal of Psychiatry has published new research that supports the argument that the $10 billion a year spent on a new wave of schizophrenia drugs is largely being wasted. Zyprexa, Seroquel and Risperdal--which have captured the market in the field--work no better than an older and much cheaper generic drug. Using the generic perphenazine, for example, would be $300 to $600 a month cheaper per patient than the prescription drugs. The authors of the study, though, aren't calling for patients to be switched over immediately. Many of these drugs are prescribed in a hit-or-miss approach and patients who are benefiting from their therapies should stay on them. In many cases, the effectiveness of one of these therapies wears off after a relatively short time, marking a good point at which the generic could be prescribed.
- read the report [1] on the study from The Washington Post
Related Article:
Government widens probes of antipsychotic Risperdal. Report [2]
Study shows that Alzheimer's drugs don't work. Report [3]
Ed. Note: Corrected the figure. Thanks for the comment!
Links:
[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/30/AR2006113001532.html
[2] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/government-widens-probes-of-antipsychotic-risperdal/2006-03-15
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/study-shows-that-alzheimer-s-drugs-don-t-work/2006-10-12