This month is a short newsletter, but there is some BIG news:
Toe Nail Fungus just got Cheaper!
The patent for the very effective, but very expensive oral antifungal called Lamisil (generic name = terbinafine) just expired in June of 2007. Now that the drug is off patent, generics have started to appear. The cost difference is huge. A quick check at Costco.com pharmacy shows that 30 pills of the brand-name Lamisil cost $385 versus 30 pills of the generic at $21.
Are generics as good?
In most cases they are. To be approved by the FDA the generic drug must show that it has at least 80% of the effect that the name-brand drug has. Common sense also tells me that generic drugs are fine. For example, I always buy generic ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tyelenol) and it gets rid of my headache. Also, all of my patients on Accutane end up getting generics and their acne still goes away. To be fair, some drugs are more difficult to manufacture than others and sometimes 80% efficacy is not sufficient.
Pulse Therapy for Toenail Fungus:
Lamisil is typically prescribed as long course of continuous therapy: one pill a day for two months to treat finger nails; three months for toe nails. We treat nail fungus with a different approach called “pulse therapy”. Pulse therapy means that you take a one week “pulse” of the medicine every month or every two months. In other words you take Lamisil for seven days in a row (= one pulse) and then nothing for the rest of the month. There is data to support that pulse therapy is just as effective as “continuous therapy”, if not more so. The obvious appeal is that one can achieve the same results with less medicine. This means less potential for side effects and lower cost.
Read more about toe nail fungus and treatment
Sincerely,
The Staff and Doctors at Minars Dermatology
email: tminars@hotmail.com
phone: 954-987-7512
In This Issue
Toe Nail Fungus just got Cheaper!
Are generics as good?
Pulse Therapy for Toenal FungusPerlane is Here!
The FDA has approved a new thicker version of Restylane called Perlane. It is used to treat deeper folds and wrinkles, while Restylane is used for “medium” folds and wrinkles. (And soon we hope to have Fine-Line Restylane for, you guessed it, fine lines).
The rest of the world (other countries) has been using Perlane for years. And Perlane is essentially the same as Restylane, just thicker. Read more about Restylane and other fillers here.
