Generic Clarinex: An Overview
- Relief of seasonal allergy symptoms (hay fever)
- Relief of indoor allergy symptoms
- Treatment of chronic (long-term) hives and itching.
Clarinex is manufactured by Schering and is currently protected by a patent that prevents any generic versions from being manufactured. Despite this, search the Internet for "generic Clarinex," 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 Clarinex until an approved version is available.
When Will a Generic Form of Clarinex Be Available?
Currently, the earliest listed patent for Clarinex expires in December 2014. It should be noted that lawsuits concerning generic Clarinex have already occurred and have been settled. In the settlement agreements, certain manufacturers will be allowed to sell a generic version no later than July 2012.
Is Desloratadine a Generic Clarinex?
No, it isn't.
Desloratadine is Clarinex's active ingredient, not a generic version of it. It's easy to confuse the terms "generic name" and "active ingredient," because of the tendency to refer to any drug's active ingredient as its generic name.
But a medicine's generic name is different from its generic version. For there to be a generic version, the original medicine must have gone off-patent and another company besides the original manufacturer must make the product.
