About generics

What is generic medicine?
A generic product contains the exact same active ingredients as the original product and therefore has the same effect for the consumer. When a patent on a pharmaceutical expires, generic manufacturers can market a generic version of the pharmaceutical at a much lower price. The difference is that the generic products on average are 75% cheaper than original products.

Orifarm has agreements with several manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and through this cooperation we market and sell a variety of generic products on the Nordic markets.

Tests, tests and even more tests
When a pharmaceutical product is first marketed it will have been subjected to many tests for many years – all approved by the authorities. In the subsequent 20 years during which a pharmaceutical product is usually patented, many consumers will have used the product and this ensures its safety.

When a patent then expires, others are allowed to make a generic product – a copy of the original. The active ingredient has already been tested, but the generic manufacturer must prove that the generic medicine will be absorbed by the consumer and is just as effective as the original. This is a bioequivalence test and is just one of many things needed in order to obtain approval from the authorities for a generic product. In the end, a generic product is just as effective as its more expensive counterpart.

Orifarm is approved by the authorities. All Orifarm production facilities are frequently inspected by local and EU authorities.

Billions in savings
Generics dramatically cut pharmaceuticals prices and this helps consumers save money and society to restrict health care budgets. In Europe generic pharmaceuticals annually saves consumers and health care budgets about € 13 billion. Without the presence of generics the health care budget would have run out of control years ago, so this allows society to provide more health care for the same amount of money.