Allergies Channel
Topics
Medications
Quicklinks
Related Channels
Generic Lastacaft
At this time, patents prevent a generic Lastacaft (alcaftadine) product from being manufactured. The earliest predictable date that a generic version of the drug could become available is November 2013, when the first patent expires. However, lawsuits or other patents for specific uses of Lastacaft may delay the availability of a generic version of the drug.
Lastacaft™ (alcaftadine) is a prescription eye drop used to treat eye allergies (known medically as allergic conjunctivitis). It belongs to a group of medications known as antihistamines and is approved for use in individuals as young as two years old.
Lastacaft is manufactured by Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, LLC. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic Lastacaft from being manufactured in the United States.
The first patent for Lastacaft expires in November 2013. This is the earliest predictable date that a generic version could become available.
However, other circumstances could come up to extend or shorten this exclusivity period. This could include such things as lawsuits or other patents for specific Lastacaft uses. Once the drug goes off-patent, several companies will likely begin manufacturing a generic Lastacaft drug.
No -- alcaftadine is the active ingredient in Lastacaft, but it is not a generic version of it. What can be confusing is that the active ingredient of a drug is often 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.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD