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Hippiekinkster -> RE: how much do you Rxs cost per month~ ? (9/28/2008 6:35:19 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: atropa7
quote:
ORIGINAL: Hippiekinkster
Vivaious- " Escitalopram (trade names Lexapro, Cipralex) is the pure (S) enantiomer of citalopram and is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)."
Citalopram is Celexa. Citalopram is available as a generic.
This is yet another example of the bullshit "research" righties claim is so expensive.
Are you aware of the dramatic differences R & S enantiomers can have? The R enantiomer of thalidomide, for example, is effective against morning sickness, while the S enantiomer causes birth defects. Different receptors can be very selective in whether or not they bind to the R or S enantiomer of a molecule, especially in neurochemistry. So to say that a racemic mixture containing equal amounts of both the R & S enatiomer is the same as a homogenous sample of just one enantiomer is just plain wrong. Separating enantiomers out isn't cheap or easy, either. Just keep that in mind.
Yes, I'm aware that some enantiomers can have differing effects. I'm also aware that a stereoselective synthesis is more complicated than making the racemic mixture. In the case of citalopram, I haven't seen any evidence that the S-enantiomer and the racemic mixture differ clinically in any specific way. I'm not saying the proof doesn't exist; just that I'm not aware of such in my readings. The following is from Wikipedia:
" Escitalopram can be considered an example of "lifecycle management"[2] - the strategy pharmaceutical companies use in order to extend the lifetime of a drug, in this case of the citalopram franchise. Escitalopram is an enantiomer of citalopram, used for the same indication, and for that reason it required less investment and less time to develop. Two years after escitalopram's launch, when the patent on citalopram expired, the escitalopram sales successfully made up for the loss. On May 23, 2006, the FDA approved a generic version of escitalopram by Teva.[3] However, on July 14 of that year, the U.S. District Court of Delaware decided in favor of Lundbeck regarding the patent infringement dispute and ruled the patent on escitalopram valid.[4"
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