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Medical Forum / General / Pharmacy / December 2004Biaxin XL?
What is the difference between Biaxin and Biaxin XL? Just a different name for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? They are the same drug, clarithromycin, but formulated differently so that instead of having to take one 500 mg tablet twice daily with "regular" Biaxin (which they call BiaxinBID), you take both the tablets together once daily (i.e., 1 g once daily) with Biaxin XL (a sustained release version). > What is the difference between Biaxin and Biaxin XL? Just a different name > for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? Interesting. The doc prescribed it to me the same dosing as regular Biaxin, one 500 mg tablet twice per day. He said it was "stronger" than regular Biaxin. If he really believes that, I'm surprised. I really see no advantage in once-per-day than twice-per-day. It's easy enough to remember to take a med twice per day. (Those that require five times per day or so, that can be more complicated.) And I have my doubts about "extended-release" meds, whether they really last as long as they claim. Is this a patent issue? Will regular Biaxin soon be available generically (in the US), so they made the XL version to keep a patented version? Does the XL version cost more (per 500 mg tablet) than the regular version? (It doesn't to me, with my prescription insurance I have a low co-pay for either. But the regular price?) > They are the same drug, clarithromycin, but formulated differently so that > instead of having to take one 500 mg tablet twice daily with "regular" [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > What is the difference between Biaxin and Biaxin XL? Just a different name > > for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? You sure ask a lot of questions. The extended release meds are required to last as long as they state. Blood tests will confirm this. If a patient is in a nursing home or has a caretaker and extended release medication might be better because that person will only need one dose instead of two. The less a person has to have medication administered the less cost involved for that patient's care. > Interesting. The doc prescribed it to me the same dosing as regular > Biaxin, [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > name >> > for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? > You sure ask a lot of questions. Anything wrong with that? That's how one learns, by asking questions. > The extended release meds are required to last as long as they state. Blood > tests will confirm this. Perhaps they work well with some people, and not with others. I have often found ER meds not to last as long as they are supposed to. > If a patient is in a nursing home or has a caretaker and extended release > medication might be better because that person will only need one dose > instead of two. The less a person has to have medication administered the > less cost involved for that patient's care. Perhaps they are better for some people, and not for others. > > Interesting. The doc prescribed it to me the same dosing as regular > > Biaxin, [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > name > >> > for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? >I really see no advantage in once-per-day than twice-per-day. It's easy >enough to remember to take a med twice per day. (Those that require five >times per day or so, that can be more complicated.) And I have my doubts >about "extended-release" meds, whether they really last as long as they >claim. Even though I am a Retired Pharmacist I can honestly say that once a day dosing is a HELL of a lot easier.. For the Patient.... ME ..... TO REMEMBER.... Bad enough to sit down at the computer desk at 10 AM and remember IF I took all that crap (lol) 3 hours earlier when I first pulled my e-mail at 7 AM... I try to be complient with my meds...BUT I can now understand whyt so many people are not... Bob Griffiths Well, not the case for me. As I said, a med that has to be taken five times per day gets complicated. Twice a day is easy for me, no significant convenience factor between once or twice per day in my case! > >I really see no advantage in once-per-day than twice-per-day. It's easy > >enough to remember to take a med twice per day. (Those that require five [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Bob Griffiths Going from twice to once daily is a clinically significant improvement. For Effexor, for example, the XR capsules (which is once daily) is widely preferred by both prescribers and patients over the regular tablets, which is only twice daily. So it can make a big difference. BiaxinBID and XL are priced more-or-less the same. A number of patients have told me that they have GI distress with the XL and not with the regular, but I've not seen anything official on this, or other differences. > Interesting. The doc prescribed it to me the same dosing as regular Biaxin, > one 500 mg tablet twice per day. He said it was "stronger" than regular [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > name > > > for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? > What is the difference between Biaxin and Biaxin XL? Just a different name > for the same med, clarithromycin? Or something different about it? I am not truly knowledgeable on this subject but...here is my biased opinion. The primary purpose for the XL version is for the manufacturer to extend patent protection. Usually a suffix like XL is used to indicate a sustained release version of the original drug. This enables the developer to extend patent protection for a few years on the original drug while the XL version is being developed. It is one of those quirks of our wonderful patent system. If the original version works well enough for you, the XL version might allow you to take fewer doses during the day. It is not, as they say, rocket science. However, I personally do not think that good rocket science is more complicated than good pharmacology. Bill |
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