OH NO!!!! I just worked on a justification of how lamictal and teva lamotigine are, for all intents and purposes, identical, yet a wrong key stroke, and the whole essay was GONE. The structure, the molecular formula, the molecular weight, the plasma drug concentration as well as the extent of the drug dissolution statistically identical. Teva Latmotrigine earned an AB rating with the FDA which is about as high as you can get considering the variations that can occur during experimentation. Some of these can be human error, degree of equipment calibration, adherence to ensuring that the same pieces of equipment are used for each experiment, environment variation, batch sizes, quality control, bioavailability, in vivo/in vitro correlation rates.... etc. All of these studies must be performed several times, enough that it can be analyzed statistically. I am a particular fan of the t test. That being said, I admit to having banged my head on a lab bench for six months or longer because my data didn't match my previous studies. One time, it turned out that the temperature gauge in my refrigerated ultra-centrifuge was off by five degrees centigrade. Another time, a very small ant had taken up residence in the mouth of the hosing attached to the equipment that created my sucrose gradients. That little ant ruined an $18,000 experiment! Why couldn't he stick to that rubber tree plant?!?
IN CONCLUSION; Over ten years in the research labs gives me the experience to know that results can rarely be repeated identically, hence, the necessity for statistical analysis. Each organization allows for a certain error rate and in this case is a factorization of a logarithmic function. For our purpose of efficacy of treatment and consumer safety, lamictal and teva lamotrigine ARE THE SAME. All of the hype that you hear regarding the difference between the two is just that... hype. We are, admittedly, a hypersensitive population. It is much easier to point to the medications being wrong or ineffective, yet we forget when we point our finger, we have three fingers pointing back at ourselves. It is a far more difficult task to evaluate our own self, behavior, conditions, emotions, and conclusions objectively. This is why a therapist, recovery partner or both are invaluable for growing in recovery.
Well, its time for me to hang up my chainmaille and retire for the evening. I hope that I have been of help.
hugs,
Colleen