Vicodin brand name doesn't exist anymore??

[ColoradoBoy90]

(PLEASE MOVE TO OTHER DRUGS: it give me error every time I tried to create thread in that forum)

So I found out brand name Vicodin is a FAKE. If you go to Vicodin website, it says "Abbie's Vicodin... priced like a generic because it IS A GENERIC". WTF!?!? It even goes on to show the pills and how they look, and for example
the 7.5mg pill reads "Vicodin ES" on one side and then "7.5/300" on the other side. Then for the 10mg "Vicodin" it reads "Vicodin HP" on one side then "10/300" on the other. It does cost more than a generic though, but even the official Vicodin website says it's a GENERIC. Yet they cost basically the same as Brand name, they mimic the brand name with the Vicodin imprint on the tablets -- but they are NOT real brand name Vicodin?? This makes no sense.

Now my question about NORCO: they still
appear to be fully brand name. They also cost much much more than so called "brand name Vicodin". How's that possible? My guess is because maybe NORCO is the real brand name therefore why it cost up to 2X more. I explain below why brand names cost more (no, it's not just because of the brand name).
So what? Is NORCO the only real brand name for hydrocodone left?? As Vicodin ES/HP on their own website claim they are generics. Does ANYONE KNOW??

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? It's proven fact in countless studies that generics actually are allowed be the FDA to have an average of 3.5% less of the ACTIVE ingredient (New York times/post) plus as most know generics are also allowed to have up to 20% different fillers, binders, etc that can affect asborption of the drug -- or side effects -- and generic drugs are NOT REQUIRED to test to find out if their fillers affect absorption!! Brand names are heavily tested. That's HUGE. Sure many may not notice that their 10mg generic really only has 9.6mg of hydrocodone in it, while others do. Also generics are allowed by law to have up to a maximum of 10% less of the active ingredient then Brand name. Example: generics can still be called "5mg hydrocodone" but really only contain 4.6mg of hydrocodone + 20% of unknown fillers. That's again HUGE... Which is why Brand name is always better and it's required to test any fillers it adds to make sure the fillers don't interfere with the absorption -- while again generics do not. Some people may notice no difference, but millions of people do. New York Times says they found out the AVERAGE generic contained 3.5% less of try ACTIVE INGREDIENT compared to brand and roughly 15% extra fillers. Some generics where only 1% off the active ingredient, others where 9.5% off the ACTIVE ingredient plus loaded with fillers. They said how dangerous this can be for patients taking meds that their life's depend on, and why some insurances refuse to pay for generics knowing this little know fact.

So I want to know: is NORCO the real brand name left for Hydrocodone? It cost almost 2X more almost than the other fake "Abbie's generic brand name Vicodon" so that's a sign.

 

[sekio]

Yet they cost basically the same as Brand name, they mimic the brand name with the Vicodin imprint on the tablets -- but they are NOT real brand name Vicodin?? This makes no sense.

That's because THEY ARE THE REAL BRAND NAME!

Vicodin, the trademark, is owned by AbbVie. Previous to that it was a trademark of BASF, transferred to Knoll Pharma when they acquired BASF, and then taken over by Abbott, which spun off its pharma division into AbbVie. So no, they're not "fake". They literally cannot be: AbbVie owne the legal rights to make pills pressed Vicodin and nobody else does. They own the trademark.

I don't see how this would, overnight, make them 'unacceptable'? Do you think that somewhere along the line the AbbVie execs sat down and said, "let's start adding model glue and pig shit to the Vicodin batches, now that we're a generic, and while we're at it we can only load 5mg in every 10mg pill"?

You are kidding yourself if you think that companies use widely different formulations for things like instant release narcotics. They are dead easy to formulate, weigh, and the compositions have been known and studied for hundreds of years. Go look up the ingredients on a few different brands of Percocet or whatever sone day, you may be suprised.

Also keep in mind that the nocebo effect is very strong with psychoactive drugs (painkiller, anxti-anxiety meds etc). (Anecdotal story funtime: I've handed someone a legit xanax bar and told them it was a convincing fake, only for them to agree.)

Moreover, it's not like there's no regulation like you imply - the FDA can and does investigate claims of generic medication being underdosed. Proving equivalence is actually required for a new generic drug formulation, too - it's just not required for every dose strength. (So if you want to make generic 5, 10mg, and 20mg pills, you only need to prove the 5mg is equivalent to whatever 5mg pill you're replacing - you don't need to do it for all. This is usually close snough in the case of instant release medictions.)

And keep in mind, the +/- 10% loading window is PLUS or MINUS 10%. So your pills could actually have MORE than the advertised content. I don't ever hear anyone wining about overdosed generics though

 

[ColoradoBoy90]

Ah, you are right I didn't even think about that part for some reason I thought they where owned by a different manfactor and I was like what is "Abbie's generic Vicodin: priced like a generic because it is one!". I wonder why they call it a generic, just for marketing reasons?

And I wonder why Norco brand name is literally a couple hundred bucks more from the pharmacy for the exact same amount/dosage -- and I asked multiple
Pharmacies they all say Norco 10mg brand name is about $200 more than Vicodin HP brand name (same quantity and everything). Insurance also said Norco is a much more expensive one. Dunno why? Low demand? Possibly higher quality? For me personally I noticed a difference in generics by asked when I was taking clonezpam from "Mylan" generics, for 3 years, then one day got brand name without even realizing it. Suddenly I felt relief, it felt like I took 2 of the mylan generics. Wasn't placebo because I never bothered to look taking them for so many years, just noticed a color difference but had no idea it was brand name. I googled the generic
company for clonezpam and was shocked how many reports and complaints there was for that generic -- basically 90% of all generic complaints where from that one generic.

My dr told me some generic companies
have little to no oversight (some not all) and almost never have the full dosage they claim (like 10mg) as generics go for cheap quantity not quality. They'd lose money if they made high quality brand like generics and sold them for a few bucks vs a few hundred. He also told me
he knew of a few generics that even had some horrid fillers in them and got sued for it, but he never pushes brand so I trust him. Pharmacist also agrees there is a roughly 5% difference according to her.

But anyways Thanks A LOT for clearing that up!! It had me pretty confused! Now I just wonder why Norco is so much more expensive....

 

[Mad Dash]

That's because THEY ARE THE REAL BRAND NAME!I don't see how this would, overnight, make them 'unacceptable'? Do you think that somewhere along the line the AbbVie execs sat down and said, "let's start adding model glue and pig shit to the Vicodin batches, now that we're a generic, and while we're at it we can only load 5mg in every 10mg pill"?

LOL, OMG!!!!!! I almost died... Sekio you always make the most amazing posts.

And yes what Sekio said is correct, and I am just so over the generics battle. Just accept the fact that big pharma is bending you over and shoving whatever they feel like into you, because all they care about is profits. They literally don't give a FUCK about the patients. I use to work for Astra Zeneca when I first got out of college, but then I quit and joined the fucking military because of how used and disgusting I felt working there. My regional manager use to say we dont care about the patients, we care about the doctors, it is THEIR job to care about the patients. Find what manufacturer you like and find a mom and pop pharmacy you like, build a relationship with them and they will order your brand for you as long as it is still being made.

 

[Kittycat5]

Yes, it is simply marketing. The price of all hydrocodone combo products increased in price significantly when switched to C-II , making the brand name price on par with other generics. It is simply a ploy to sell product.