What is the difference between generic alendronate and Fosamax®?
Roughly speaking, there is no difference. They are the same active chemical, C4H12NNaO7P2. They may have different filler materials and may be packaged differently, but the Food and Drug Administration requires all generic equivalents to be as effective as their branded counterparts. The drug company Merck owns the brand name Fosamax® and only they and their representatives can legally sell alendronate under that name in the United States. A brand name drug is considered an innovator, or discovery, drug because it has an original composition. Because of this new composition, the drug has three overall phases of testing: laboratory, animal, and human. The research company must first file a New Drug Application or (NDA)1 with the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). They must provide evidence regarding the risks and benefits of testing the compound based on laboratory/animal testing results. In order to test human subjects, the pharmaceutical company must provide evidence
