Is Fincar really the same as Proscar and is Finpecia really the same as Propecia?
There’s no reason to assume otherwise. Fincar (2) and Finpecia (1) are products of the very large conglomerate, Cipla (
http://www.cipla.com), based in India. Whereas India has some of the most stringent patent laws of any country in the world and has agreed to recognize international patents, the laws in any country are only as good as the enforcement.
Last week (January 2004), during a meeting with my patent attorney, I asked him about the legitimacy of Fincar and Finpecia. In turn, he called in a colleague, who is a lawyer born and raised in India and specializing in international law. He confirmed that the federal laws in India did indeed have stringent patent agreements. However, he also acknowledged that huge, powerful conglomerates, such as Cipla, frequently ignore the regulations, because they have no fear of reprisals from the government.
So, although Merck & Co., Inc. has the FDA patent rights to Proscar and Propecia and those patents don’t expire until 19 June 06(3), Fincar (5mg finasteride tablet) and Finpecia (1mg finasteride tablet) are being manufactured by Cipla in India.
As a matter of professional ethics, I do not write prescriptions for Fincar or Finpecia. On the other hand, I do not discourage patients from using Finpecia or taking quartered tablets of Fincar as a less expensive source of finasteride for the treatment of male pattern baldness.
(1)
http://www.cipla.com/ourproducts/Dermat ... npecia.htm
(2)
http://www.cipla.com/ourproducts/urological/fincar.htm
(3)
http://www.fda.gov/cder/ob/default.htm
