Generic Keppra Risks

Difference Between Generic and Brand Name Medications

Brand name medications are introduced prior to generic substitutes. While both may be marketed in the same way, they are not exactly the same. That is, brand name medications are predecessors, and thus ingredients used are part of a patent that cannot be lawfully replicated by any other company. Patents are essentially put into place to ensure that drug companies who come up with an idea are able to reap the benefits of that idea without the risk of another company swooping in and profiting from their hard work. However, just because a patent is put into place does not mean that a generic substitute can't also be marketed.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a generic medication is "identical, or bioequivalent to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use." However, the differences in inactive ingredients are what ultimately affect consumers. When medications, generic or brand name, are prescribed, careful attention needs to be paid to whether or not a patient may potentially have an adverse reaction to not only active ingredients, but inactive ingredients as well.

Generic medications are labeled as bioequivalent versions of brand name drugs, although that doesn't necessarily mean that the exact same ingredients are used for each. In fact, there can often be as much as a 20% deviation in ingredients, per FDA guidelines. Generic medications need only be chemically identical to brand name versions, which means that as long as the end result is the same, differing ingredients may be used. This generally results in reduced costs for generic drug makers, which translates to lower priced generic medication for consumers. However, because ingredients may in fact differ, individuals who are prescribed a brand name medication, and then switch to a generic medication, may not be able to seamlessly transition between the two, particularly if they are allergic to an ingredient that differs in the two medications.

In the past, FDA studies have shown that one particular generic anti-epileptic drug (AED), when taken, resulted in a significantly lower level of active ingredient in the patient's body. Thus, resulting in seizures in those patients that needed higher concentrations to prevent them. Recent experiences with generic Keppra manufactured by Mylan have shown that many users that were previously seizure-free for years began experiencing seizures again after switching from brand name Keppra to Mylan generic Keppra. Whether breakthrough seizures in this case is due to lower concentrations of Keppra's active ingredient, levetiracetam, remains to be seen.

Contacting Generic Keppra Lawsuit Attorneys

Switching from Keppra to a generic substitute has been known to sporadically result in increased seizures. Furthermore, because pharmacists occasionally switch between generic drugs to cut costs, epilepsy patients may suffer adverse side effects. If you have suffered breakthrough seizures on generic Keppra, do not hesitate to contact the experienced generic Keppra attorneys at Anapol Schwartz. Call us today at (866) 735-2792 for a free consultation of your case.

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