The Food and Drug Authority confirmed that it constantly monitors generic alternative medicines to ensure their effectiveness, quality and bio-equivalence with the innovative medicine. The medicine factory is inspected and quality is monitored after approval of registration.
The authority explained that there is a misconception that generic medicines are less effective than innovative medicines, but the reality is that registered (alternative) generic medicines offer the same medical efficacy, but the price of generic medicines is often much lower, because they do not require research or marketing costs.
She pointed out that the difference between them may be in color, flavor and price, but they are identical in terms of the active substance, concentration, dosage and method of use, explaining that innovative drugs have a legal protection period of 17 to 20 years, during which only the innovative company is allowed to manufacture the same drug.
watching #food_and_medicine Generic generics are constantly being used to ensure their efficacy, quality, and bioequivalence with the innovative drug. pic.twitter.com/I0RWkVzfyC
— Food and Drug Authority (@Saudi_FDA) October 31, 2022