Generic Singulair: An Overview
Singulair® (
montelukast sodium) is a prescription medication used to treat the following conditions:
Singulair is manufactured by Merck & Co. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic versions from being manufactured in the United States.
When Will Generic Singulair Be Available?
The first patent for Singulair currently expires in August 2012. This is the earliest possible date that a generic version of the drug could become available. However, circumstances could come up to extend this exclusivity period. This could include such things as other patents for specific
Singulair uses or lawsuits. Once the patent expires, several companies will likely begin manufacturing a generic Singulair product.
Is Montelukast a Generic Singulair?
No -- montelukast is the active ingredient in Singulair, 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.
