Legal Definitions - copycat drug

A copycat drug is a common term used to describe a generic drug. It refers to a medication that is essentially identical to a brand-name drug that has already been approved and marketed by a pharmaceutical company. These drugs contain the exact same active ingredient, are of the same strength and dosage form, and are intended for the same use as their brand-name counterparts. Copycat drugs become available once the patent protection for the original brand-name drug expires, allowing other manufacturers to produce and sell their versions, typically at a significantly lower cost.

• Example 1: Over-the-Counter Pain Relief

  Imagine a consumer choosing to buy a bottle of "Pain-Away Ibuprofen" from a supermarket's house brand instead of the more expensive "Advil." Both products contain 200mg of ibuprofen. The "Pain-Away Ibuprofen" is a copycat drug because it provides the same active ingredient, in the same dosage, for the same purpose (pain relief and fever reduction) as the brand-name Advil, but is sold by a different manufacturer after Advil's patent expired.

• Example 2: Prescription for High Blood Pressure

  A patient has been prescribed "Lisinopril" by their doctor to manage high blood pressure, rather than the brand-name drug "Zestril." Lisinopril is a copycat drug of Zestril. Once the patent for Zestril expired, other pharmaceutical companies were able to produce and market Lisinopril, which contains the identical active ingredient and works in precisely the same way to lower blood pressure, offering a more affordable treatment option for patients.

• Example 3: Hospital Pharmacy Procurement

  A hospital pharmacy decides to switch its primary supply of a widely used antibiotic from the brand-name "Cipro" to its generic equivalent, "ciprofloxacin." This decision is made to reduce costs without compromising patient care. Ciprofloxacin is a copycat drug of Cipro because it contains the exact same active ingredient, is administered in the same way (e.g., orally or intravenously), and has the same efficacy and safety profile for treating bacterial infections, becoming available after Cipro's patent protection ended.