Generic Lescol: An Overview
Lescol® (
fluvastatin sodium) is a prescription medication that has been licensed to treat several conditions. These
Lescol uses include the:
Lescol is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals and is currently protected by a patent that prevents any generic versions from being manufactured. Yet, search the Internet for "generic Lescol" and you will find a number of companies selling it. The fact is that these medicines could be fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous. You should not buy any generic Lescol until an approved generic version is available.
When Will Generic Lescol Be Available?
The patent for Lescol currently expires in April 2012. This is the earliest predictable date that a generic version 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 Lescol uses. Once the patent expires, there may be several companies that manufacture a generic Lescol drug.
Is Fluvastatin Sodium a Generic Lescol?
No --
fluvastatin sodium is the active ingredient in Lescol, but is not a generic version of it. Oftentimes, the active ingredient of any drug is referred to as the "generic name." The generic name, however, is different from a generic version of a medicine. In order for there to be a generic version of a medicine, the original medicine must have gone off-patent and another company besides the original manufacturer must make the product.
You can learn about alternatives to Lescol in the eMedTV article
Lescol Alternatives. There are some
statins that are available in generic form.
