New study finds generics as effective as branded drugs at a fraction of the cost

generic drugs

A new study has found that generic medicines in India are just as effective as branded drugs but cost up to 14 times less, challenging entrenched perceptions about quality and value in the pharmaceutical market.

The Citizen's Generic versus Branded Drugs Quality Project, organized under the Mission for Ethics and Science in Healthcare (MESH), tested 131 samples of 22 essential medicines from seven sources, including top brands, branded generics, government-supplied Jan Aushadhi, and trade generics.

All samples met Indian Pharmacopeia standards for drug content, dissolution, and impurities, with no meaningful quality differences. Mean drug content stood at 99.45 percent overall—101.35 percent for brands versus 99.10 percent for generics.

Despite this, pricing gaps were stark: branded drugs averaged Rs 11.17 per tablet, compared to Rs 2.40 for Jan Aushadhi options. For chronic conditions, the savings are dramatic—annual costs for branded ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) could exceed Rs 22,000 versus under Rs 6,000 for Jan Aushadhi.  UDCA is used to dissolve certain types of gallstones and to treat specific liver diseases.

The findings were released in a detailed thread on social media platform X by hepatologist and public health advocate Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, known as @theliverdoc.

The drugs were rigorously tested at Eureka Analytical Services Pvt. Ltd., an NABL/ISO 17025-accredited and US-FDA-notified laboratory, in accordance with Indian Pharmacopoeia standards. The study did not include bioequivalence studies in humans, heavy metal testing (not required under standard pharmacopoeial protocols for these drugs), or clinical efficacy trials, with full lab reports and summaries scheduled for release on the MESH website (meshindia.org) shortly.

Human cost of high prices

The study was inspired by real-world struggles. Dr. Philips, recounted the case of an auto-rickshaw driver with advanced liver disease who skipped doses of rifaximin due to cost, resulting in a coma and an Rs.80,000 hospital bill.

“When medicines are unaffordable, patients skip doses or stop treatment entirely, leading to preventable complications and hospitalizations,” Philips wrote.

He added: “The narrative that generics are inferior is marketing-driven, not evidence-based. Our data shows they are equally effective.”