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If a generic drug contains the same active ingredients as its brand-name counterpart, we can add features that make the drug easier for patients to take. For example, we can make the drug dissolve faster in the mouth, we can add flavors and aromas, or provide doses of half the active ingredient. Nipro Pharma produces more than 400 types of generic oral, injectables and patch drugs. We are on an ongoing quest to develop more generics with added value.
What are Generic Drugs?
Newly developed drugs are protected by patents that normally last 20 to 25 years. This means that during that period, the company that developed the drug holds all rights to manufacture and sell it. Generics are drugs that have been manufactured after the respective patents have expired. Hence Generics are sold at lower cost, since research and development expenses are offset. The active ingredients in generic drugs are the same as their brand-name originals. Unless they fulfill a number of requirements, such as tests confirming that their biological effects are the same as the brand-name originals, Generics do not receive Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry approval and cannot be sold. In other words, it can be legitimately said that generic drugs have the same active ingredients as the originals, and are reliable and affordable.
Delivering generics with added value
Generic drugs have the same effect as their brand-name originals. Nipro Pharma tries to go one step further than merely developing drugs with the same ingredient; we focus on efforts to make generics that are easier to take and easier to use. In other words, Nipro Pharma concentrates on producing generics with added benefits that will satisfy patients.
Orally dissolving tablets
The use of orally dissolving tablets that can be taken without water is becoming increasingly widespread,particularly because such tablets are easy for the elderly to take. Nipro Pharma believes it is possible to make generics in orally dissolving tablet form.
Half-dose tablets
Sometimes patients need doses that are half those offered by the brand-name originals. In such cases, it is necessary to cut the tablets in half to obtain the required amount. Nipro Pharma attempts to develop and commercialize generics in units with half the dose of the active ingredient offered in their brand-name original forms.
Flavor-added medication
We don’t want to merely add sugar coating to medication. Instead, Nipro Pharma develops drugs with sweet and refreshing flavors, to make them easier to take.
More user-friendly patch products
Nipro Pharma is designing patch products that have superior adhesive properties and are gentler to the skin at the same time, are easy to apply and leave no adhesive residue after removal.
Value-added Transdermal drugs
These extremely thin, light and inconspicuous transdermal patch drugs are minimally irritating and easy on the skin when removed. They come in easy-to-open embossed packaging.
Featured half-dose products (generic)
Sometimes patients need doses that are half those offered by the brand-name originals. In such cases, it is necessary to cut the tablets in half to obtain the required amount. Nipro Pharma attempts to develop and commercialize generics in units with half the dose of the active ingredient offered in their brand-name original forms. These extremely convenient products prevent dose errors and contamination that can result from cutting tablets in half; they also eliminate the trouble of repackaging unused doses.
![Furosemide 10 mg tablets [NP]](../images/business/business_generic_closeup_img.jpg)
Other half-dose tablets
- Gliclazide 20 mg tablets [NP] (sulfonylurea oral hypoglycemic)
- Trichlormethiazide 1 mg tablets [NP] (thiazide antihypertensive diuretic)
- Furosemide 10 mg tablets [NP] (antihypertensive diuretic)
- Risperidone 0.5 mg tablets [NP] (antipsychotic)
