American Toprol XL…a Swedish Product of India?!
Toprol XL, a prescription drug that treats high blood pressure and is shown to lower the risk of heart attacks, is in the news due to recalls of some generic versions and because some doctors are finding the generics doesn’t always work as well as the brand. Consumers taking a generic version (metoprolol succinate extended-release), might want to switch back to the brand, but that could raise their drug bills substantially
The issue has also re-ignited the topic of problems with Indian drug quality. Wockhardt and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, both based in India, have pulled 100,000 bottles of their respective metoprolol succinate extended-release products because their pills were not dissolving properly. For extended release drugs, this can be a big problem with a drug’s efficacy.
So where can you buy an American made version of this drug? I believe that would be very hard to do. Brand name Toprol XL sold on U.S. pharmacy shelves is a product of Swedish company AstraZeneca and, according to the drug’s labeling, made in India. There are American companies that make metoprolol succinate as well, such as Mylan, but they manufacture the drug in India, too. Some Toprol XL generics were made in America, but that didn’t work out so well due to manufacturing problems here at home.
Dollars and Sense – You can save 70% on the brand!
In the U.S., generic metoprolol succinate costs about 45 cents a pill. If you want brand name Toprol XL (100mg), the cost is about $2 apill. However, if you only want the brand name product and want to spend a lot less, it can be purchased from a verified international online pharmacy for as little as 60 cents a pill, just a bit more than the cost of a generic in the U.S., and a 70% savings on the U.S. brand price.
Compare Toprol XL drug prices on all strengths on PharmacyChecker.com.
