Generic Epivir

There are currently no generic Epivir products available. Even though the first patent for the medication expired in August 2009, there could be other patents that keep any generic versions from being produced. The next patent is set to expire in May 2010. It is believed that after this patent expires, generic versions of the drug could become available.

Can I Buy Generic Epivir?

Epivir® (lamivudine) is a prescription antiviral medication. It is part of a group of medications known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (also known as NRTIs). Epivir is approved to treat the following viral infections:
 
Epivir comes in two forms, regular Epivir (approved to treat HIV and AIDS) and Epivir-HBV (approved to treat hepatitis B). There is no real difference between Epivir and Epivir-HBV products, except that they come in different strengths.
 
Epivir is made by GlaxoSmithKline. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic Epivir from being manufactured in the United States.
 

When Will Generic Epivir Be Available?

The first patent for Epivir expired in August 2009.
 However, there are no generic versions of Epivir available. This suggests that other patents for Epivir (which expire later) are still provided protection against generic competition.
 
The next patent set to expire will do so in May 2010, but various factors could influence when exactly a generic will become available. This could include such things as other patents for specific Epivir uses or lawsuits. Once Epivir goes off patent, there may be several companies that will begin manufacturing a generic Epivir drug.
  

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(Generic Epivir Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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