Generic Xyzal: An Overview
Xyzal® (
levocetirizine dihydrochloride) is a prescription medication approved to treat
allergies and hives. It belongs to a group of medications known as non-sedating antihistamines (which are less likely to cause drowsiness).
Brand-name Xyzal is manufactured jointly by UCB, Inc., and sanofi-aventis. However, the medication is also available in generic form. The first patent for Xyzal was set to expire in March 2013. However, this patent was successfully challenged, and generic versions became available starting December 2010.
Availability of Generic Xyzal
Generic levocetirizine is available in the following strengths and forms:
- Levocetirizine 5 mg tablets (which may be broken in half to achieve a lower dose of 2.5 mg)
- Levocetirizine oral solution (liquid), which contains 0.5 mg per mL (equivalent to 2.5 mg per teaspoonful).
Generic levocetirizine is made by the following companies:
- Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
- Glenmark Generics
- Perrigo
- Prasco Laboratories and Winthrop.
The generic version sold by Prasco/Winthrop is an "authorized generic." This means it is made by the original brand-name manufacturer and is exactly the same as the brand-name drug in every way (it even looks the same), except that it is sold under a generic name and is marketed by a generic manufacturer.
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