Generic Advicor: An Overview
Advicor is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic versions from being manufactured in the United States. Yet, if you search the Internet for "generic Advicor," you may find a number of companies selling it. The fact is that these medicines may be fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous. Generic Advicor may be available from another country, but there is really no way of knowing if you are getting genuine Advicor. You should not buy anything claiming to be a generic version until an approved one is available.
When Will Generic Advicor Be Available?
The lovastatin component of Advicor is not protected by any patents (all the applicable patents have already expired).
However, the extended-release niacin component has several patents, the first of which is set to expire in September 2013. This is the earliest predictable date that a generic version of Advicor could become available. However, other circumstances could come up to extend or shorten the exclusivity period. This could include such things as lawsuits or other patents for specific
Advicor uses. Once the drug goes off-patent, several companies may manufacture a generic Advicor drug.
