Several patents currently prevent any generic Prezista from being manufactured in the United States. The first patent is set to expire in August 2012. Unless circumstances arise to extend the exclusivity period of the medication beyond this time, such as lawsuits or other patents, several companies are expected to begin producing generic Prezista products at that time.
Generic Prezista: An Overview
Prezista™ (
darunavir ethanolate) is a prescription
AIDS and
HIV medication. It belongs to a class of medications known as protease inhibitors and is approved only to be used in combination with other HIV medications. Prezista should always be used with
ritonavir (
Norvir®), another HIV medication that increases the level of Prezista in the blood, making it more effective.
Prezista is made by Ortho Biotech Products. It is currently under the protection of patents that prevent any generic Prezista from being manufactured in the United States.
When Will Generic Prezista Be Available?
The first patent for Prezista currently expires in August 2012. This is the earliest possible date that a generic version of Prezista could become available. However, other circumstances could come up to extend the exclusivity period of the medicine beyond 2012. This could include such things as other patents for specific
Prezista uses or lawsuits. Once the patent expires, several companies will likely begin manufacturing a generic Prezista drug.
Is Darunavir the Same as Generic Prezista?
No -- darunavir is the active ingredient in Prezista, but is not a generic version of it. What can be confusing is that, oftentimes, the active ingredient of any drug is referred to as the "generic name." The generic name 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.
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