Clinical Experience with Generic Rasagiline (Ralago^®) in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: An Open-Label, Multicenter, Observational Study

Background: Antiparkinsonian pharmacotherapy represents one of the most important expenses related to Parkinson’s disease. The application of generic drugs may help to reduce the economic burden of the disease;however, efficacy and safety of these products have been less studied. Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of generic rasagiline (Ralago?) from a clinical perspective. Methods: The Clinical Global Impression of Severity scale was used to rate the most important motor and non-motor symptoms at baseline and 12 weeks after the initiation of Ralago?. Patients also identified symptoms which were the main sources of their disability and distress in everyday life. Results: A total of 499 patients were enrolled (231 females, mean age: 73.2 ± 9.1 years, mean duration of disease: 3.6 ± 3.7 years). Of them, 486 patients completed the study protocol. Both motor and non-motor symptoms showed improvement during 12-week Ralago? treatment. Adverse events were rare, and the majority of them were not considered as serious. Conclusions: The generic rasagiline (Ralago?) is an effective and safe generic product.

Brief introduction for application of USA authorized generic drugs

The authorized generic drugs(AGs)are drug products marketed in the USA with the permission of sponsor or holder of the approved brand name drug(usually refers to an innovator drug).Other than the fact that it does not have the brand name on its label,it is the exact same drug product as the brand name product.In China,for those published comparator products of generic drug products,the market availability is the first question to affect the smooth development and investigation for the process of the re-evaluation of the generic drugs.In the present paper,we systemically elaborated the definition,classification and relevant background of the AGs,as well as their differences to the generic drugs.At the same time,by taking drug products,which are adopted in the Chinese comparator product directories for generic medicinal products(first batch)and sourced from USA orange book,as examples,we introduced the searching process of the AGs with the integration of FDA listing of AGs,the USA orange book and the USA national drug code directory.It can facilitate the domestic and foreign pharmaceutical enterprises to search,identify and purchase the corresponding AGs of the designated comparator product when question emerges to its market availability.

Development of the generic drug industry in the US after the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984

The key events in the development of the US generic drug industry after the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984 are systematically reviewed,including the process of approval for generic drugs,bioequivalence issues including“switchability”,bioequivalence for complicated dosage forms,patent extension,generic drug safety,generic substitution and low-cost generics.The backlog in generic review,generic drug user fees,and“quality by design”for generic drugs is also discussed.The evolution of the US generic drug industry after the Hatch-Waxman Act in 1984 has afforded several lessons of great benefit to other countries wishing to establish or re-establish a domestic generic drug industry.

Brief introduction for application of the USA national drug code

The reference listed drug (RLD) adopted in the USA orange book is the important source of the Chinese comparator product directories of generic medicinal products. Therefore, its availability has the vital significanee for pharmaceutical enterprise to carry out the re-evaluation of gen eric medici nal products and study of generic medicinal products. The nati onal drug code (NDC) is the unique, 3-segment number for each drug product in USA, and it serves as a universal product identifier for drugs. While the NDC directory adopts the infbrmation of drug products in the current commercial distribution, including all of the prescription drug and over the counter (OTC) drug products. The composition and configuration of the NDC number are systemically elaborated in this paper, as well as the data source, development history and supporting measures of the NDC directory. At the same time, by taking drugs, which are adopted in the Chinese comparator product directory of generic medicinal product (first batch) and sourced from USA orange book, as example, it introduces the application of the NDC directory in the availability aspect of the Chinese comparator products to facilitate the Chinese or foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers to search, identify and purchase the suitable RLD sourced from USA orange book. Moreover, it can provide referenee for Chinese drug regulatory to prepare the Chinese comparator product directories of generic medicinal products.