Hey there. I was wondering if someone could help me? My Dad's neurologist has suggested that he changes from taking Memantine (generic) to Ebixa by Lundbeck. I understand they're the same drug, but maybe the formulation method is different and Ebixa is better? We have to buy this on a private prescription, which is fine, but I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced this advice and information too? Thanks ever so much.
Ebixa Versus Memantine
- Thread starter Kerry75
- Start date
Hi @Kerry75
A warm welcome to DTP
It seems odd to me to suggest such a change ... but I don't have experience of this drug, my dad took Donepezil
If you are in the UK. I don't understand why your dad is paying for a private prescription ... those with a diagnosis pay so much it seems wrong to pay for meds too
A warm welcome to DTP
It seems odd to me to suggest such a change ... but I don't have experience of this drug, my dad took Donepezil
If you are in the UK. I don't understand why your dad is paying for a private prescription ... those with a diagnosis pay so much it seems wrong to pay for meds too
Many thanks for coming back to me. I've been Googling all night and can't find anything about Ebixa versus Memantine. I'll keep searching
Ebixa is memantine! It is one of the brands distributed in the uk. My mum takes Valois which is another brand.
It may be that the neurologist thinks it will suit better but I would be asking exactly why they have come to this conclusion.
It may be that the neurologist thinks it will suit better but I would be asking exactly why they have come to this conclusion.
My OH has epilepsy and a couple of his anti-epileptic drugs work better for epilepsy if you consistently use the same manufacturer, so its best to use the branded drug if there are problems. This is not true of the vast majority of drugs - OHs anti-epileptics seem to be in a tiny minority and, as far as I am aware, memantine does not come into this category.
Evidence that some anti-epileptics work best for epilepsy if you use a constant manufacturer can be found very easily on reputable sites on the internet, but I couldnt find anything remotely similar about memantine. I would like to know what the neurologist is basing his advice on.
Evidence that some anti-epileptics work best for epilepsy if you use a constant manufacturer can be found very easily on reputable sites on the internet, but I couldnt find anything remotely similar about memantine. I would like to know what the neurologist is basing his advice on.
If you look at 6.1 in the SmPC for each brand you will get a list of excipients, ingredients not playing an active role.
@Kerry75 are you in the US by chance? There is a bigger emphasis on brand name drugs there. As @Starting on a journey has noted Ebixa is memantine, but simply the brand name. I don't see any advantage in using the brand name. My mother was on the generic and it worked well for her.
Maybe because:
Doctors Prescribe More of a Drug If They Receive Money from a Pharma Company Tied to It
Pharmaceutical companies have paid doctors billions of dollars for consulting, promotional talks, meals and more. A new ProPublica analysis finds doctors who received payments linked to specific drugs prescribed more of those drugs.
www.propublica.org
I'm afraid I was suspicious too, along the lines of @nitram's article.
Big Pharma is very powerful in the US...
I would definitely ask the neurologist to justify the suggestion to change. To be honest, it's very unlikely a person with dementia will respond differently to a different brand of memantine... but the neurologist may get a lavish kickback if he can persuade you to buy the expensive version
Big Pharma is very powerful in the US...
I would definitely ask the neurologist to justify the suggestion to change. To be honest, it's very unlikely a person with dementia will respond differently to a different brand of memantine... but the neurologist may get a lavish kickback if he can persuade you to buy the expensive version
