A two-year observational study shows that strategies to improve treatment of severe epilepsy can reduce the cost of medications and hospitalization expenses. The research was sponsored by UCB Inc., makers of two epilepsy drugs, Vimpat (lacosamide) C-V and Keppra XR (levetiracetam) extended-release tablets.
Epilepsy is a condition that affects less than 2 percent of the population. In years past, epileptics often suffered seizures their entire lives. But nowadays many people can manage their seizures with appropriate medication. In 2009, generic versions of Keppra became available to consumers. As with many drugs, health insurance providers began switching patients to the lesser expensive generics. For some, the results were dangerous, with some patients experiencing a relapse in seizures. Others reported debilitating migraines.
Seventy-eight percent of people would accept a generic version of their brand name medication if it were offered to them by their doctor or pharmacist, yet many say they do not have information about what generic medicines are and when they might be used, according to the Irish Medicines Board.
Thia Moore found out the difference between brand name and generic drugs the hard way. The 47-year-old had suffered from daily seizures since she was mugged as a teenager. She controlled them with a combination of anti-seizure medications. Then her insurance company switched her to the generic version of the drugs. That's when her seizures became more frequent.
Mylan Pharmaceuticals was named one of the top five companies of the Pharmaceutical Industry by Zacks Investment Research. The pharmaceutical companies were chosen based on their dept-to-equity ratio, which placed Mylan at 4.9x based on total debt of $5.2 billion.
There is much talk these days among a group of concerned citizens who rely on medication to control their seizure disorders. Some have found that switching to a generic version of a medication that had been controlling their seizures has resulted in side effects from severe headaches to an increase in the re-occurrence of their seizures. While these disabling symptoms can be dangerous and life threatening, they can also result in economic losses from having their driving privileges revoked to the inability to work or attend school. The drug in question is Keppra and its generic alternative Levetiracetam.
Most people assume generic versions of medication are just the same as the brand name but at a lower price. But don't be fooled. While generics are reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine whether the active ingredient is comparable to the brand name drug, those generics can contain different inactive ingredients, such as fillers, dyes and the like, that some people may be allergic or sensitive to.
J.G. Martin had been taking Keppra, a brand of the medication levetiracetam to treat his seizures since April 2007. Two months later, his pharmacist refilled the prescription with a generic version of the drug without his consent. Assuming the generic was just as good as the brand name product that was controlling his seizures, Martin took the medication. But a week later, he began suffering from debilitating migraines.
Antiepileptic drugs lamotrigine and levetiracetam are among the most effective in treating seizures in older adults with epilepsy, according to research published in the April issue of the medical journal Archives of Neurology. Lamotrigine, made by GlaxoSmithKline, is marketed as Lamicital. Levetiracetam is made by UCB, Inc., and sold under the brand name Keppra. It is also available in generics such as ANDA by Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and other generic forms made by other drug manufacturers.
