Are there any generic diabetic medications?

[tomvonc]

Everything I use is branded. Lilly make my insulin, BD for needles, Lifescan for strips etc etc etc. Surely patents must have passed, and now cheaper meds must be available to save the NHS a few bob. Come to think of it, is a Pancreas thing? I'm on Creon, and that is branded too!

 

[Osidge]

I know that some oral medications, like metformin, are out of patent and come in a generic form. As to insulin, I guess as new types come along they will be in patent and not available as generics. The patent is, of course, the way that pharma companies recoup their research and development costs - as well as make the profit they must as companies with shareholders.

Doug

 

[tomvonc]

I know that some oral medications, like metformin, are out of patent and come in a generic form. As to insulin, I guess as new types come along they will be in patent and not available as generics. The patent is, of course, the way that pharma companies recoup their research and development costs - as well as make the profit they must as companies with shareholders.

Doug

I understand this of course. I just feel sometimes that there a few bods out there getting extremely rich on the backs of diabetics :-(