Once on a roll, the FDA continues its action against generics

Having hit the jackpot with Ranbaxy, the lobbyists for Big Pharma have continued their pressure on the FDA to shut down more of the competition against their drugs. When the original manufacturers are not able to find a way to extend the patent protection, their only way of defending their profit margins is to undermine the credibility of the generic imports. The usual lines of attack always focus on patient safety. All action taken is to ensure that lives are not put at risk by imports from "foreign" countries. As with another article on this site, I emphasise this does not affect you when you buy generic viagra online. There is no action taken or threatened by the FDA to affect the import of this vital, safe and effective drug into the US.

In this case, the FDA has picked on another Indian generic manufacturer, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. However, this time the problem has been identified in quality checks at a manufacturing plant in Detroit owned and operated by Sun Pharma. To give you an idea of the scale of this company's operations, it currently holds FDA licenses to import 96 drugs into the US. It is a major player and its activities significantly affect the profitability of the local companies. Politically, the local manufacturers benefit every time the FDA can be persuaded to take action against a generic manufacturer. It adds credibility to their general propaganda that generics are unsafe. But, as with Ranbaxy, the FDA cannot be persuaded to say that Sun Pharma's drugs are in any way unsafe. There is no order that they be withdrawn from the market or stopped from entering the US (or, in the case of the Detroit factory, leaving that factory). Supplies are uninterrupted. But yet another seed of doubt has been planted in the public's mind.

At a time when the US has been building better ties with India, it is odd to see the FDA engaging in such obvious protectionism with two major manufacturers from a single country as its target. Nevertheless, the damage is done to the individual companies' reputations and to their stock value. They are being punished for being too successful in competing with US business. Fortunately, none of this has affected the manufacture or supply of generic viagra which continues to be a cheap alternative to the branded equivalents. It will require a more brave head of the FDA to challenge the supply of viagra.

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For other highly informative insights on numerous topics from John Scott visit www.buygenericviagraonline.net/. John Scott is a professional journalist with 15 years of experience delivering news to the public.

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