Could a Generic Zocor ''Hurt'' The Statin Market?

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Could a Generic Zocor ''Hurt'' The Statin Market?

 

A generic version of Zocor, the second best selling drug in the U.S.,

could result in consumers paying a good deal less for cholesterol

pills. Zocor loses its patent protections in June, meaning a cheaper

generic copy of the currently pricey drug may soon be available.

 

" Pretty Much Interchangeable "

 

Zocor, Lipitor, and other cholesterol drugs are likely to experience

lessened sales as a result.

 

Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and other drugs in the " statin " class have

been judged by many experts to be " pretty much interchangeable " , so

patients are likely to be pushed by insurance companies to use the

less expensive generic brands when they are available.

 

Broad Medicare Drug Benefit

 

At the same time, Medicare is offering a broad drug benefit for the

first time, increasing the probability that many seniors will be

encouraged to shift to the cheapest possible version.

 

However, manufacturers of brand-name statin drugs say they believe

doctors and patients will stick to their products, arguing that their

brands are in fact superior.

 

Chicago Tribune December 29, 2005 Registration Required

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

I recently ran a story about Pfizer dodging a bullet when its cash

cow, Lipitor, was protected from the generic drug market for five more

years by a federal judge.

 

But this astute look at the multi-national pharmaceutical landscape in

the Chicago Tribune shows how the soon-to-be-generic status of another

statin drug -- Zocor -- will be a boon to the conventional drug

paradigm at the end of the day.

 

With Zocor moving to generic status in June, this statin will cost

close to half as much ($2 a pill) at the retail level. And the fact

that one statin isn't any better than any other (except, perhaps, some

are more dangerous), combined with the looming disaster that is the

Medicare drug benefit package, gives a generic Zocor product a huge

marketing advantage.

 

Statin drugs are one of the most unnecessary drugs in medicine. There

are a small group of people with genetic enzyme defects that have

cholesterols levels above 325-350. These are about the only

individuals in my experience, who seem to benefit from statins. In my

practice of 10,000 patients there has been a grand total of three

patients that required statins to control this genetic problem.

 

Just about every other person can normalize their cholesterol levels

with the Total Health Program. What is really disturbing though is

that the standard of care in conventional medicine seems to have

evolved into physicians prescribing these drugs for anyone with a

heart attack on these dangerous drugs. Even if their cholesterol level

is already dangerously low (below 150).

 

What nearly all conventional physicians fail to appreciate is that

there is a danger of having a cholesterol that is too low.

 

So avoid statin drug deception -- inexpensive generic or not --

without taking one by making simple lifestyle changes which include

modifying your eating habits based on your body's unique metabolic type.

 

If you truly want to normalize your cholesterol levels:

 

* First, normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and

grains.

 

* Second, you can take a high-quality fish oil that is chock full

of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to find a fish oil

to conform to purity guidelines. This will ensure that the oil is free of

mercury and other toxins.

 

* Additionally, if you are a man, or a woman who is in menopause,

you should check your iron levels as elevated levels of iron can cause

major oxidative damage in the blood vessels, heart and other organs.

Excess iron is also one of the major contributing factors of cancer risk.

 

* Regular exercise is another important tool that may reduce your

risk of heart disease.

 

Related Articles:

 

Lunatic Recommendations For Statin Drug Use

 

Medicare: Underpriced and Oversold

 

The Baycol Recall: How Safe Is Your Statin?