I was wondering why I haven’t seen any Ambien commercials lately. According to the FDA,
Generic drugs cost about 20% to 70% less than their brand name counterparts. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion a year.
Here’s a list of some of the generic drugs approved by the FDA so far this year:
- Alendronate Sodium Tablets (Fosamax)
Used for: Treating and preventing types of osteoporosis
Originally marketed as: Fosamax, by Merck & Co.
Date approved: Feb. 6, 2008 - Carvedilol Tablets (Coreg)
Used for: Treating hypertension and heart failure
Originally marketed as: Coreg, by SmithKline Beecham, now GlaxoSmithKline
Date approved: Sept. 5, 2007 - Cetirizine HCl Tablets (Zyrtec)
Used for: Treating symptoms of allergies
Originally marketed as: Zyrtec, by Pfizer
Date approved: Dec.12, 2007 - Granisetron Tablets (Kytril)
Used for: Preventing nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy and radiation
Originally marketed as: Kytril, by Roche
Date approved: Dec. 31, 2007 - Oxcarbazepine Tablets (Trileptal)
Used for: Treating certain kinds of seizures and epilepsy
Originally marketed as: Trileptal, by Novartis
Date approved: Oct. 9, 2007 - Pravastatin Sodium Tablets (Pravachol)
Used for: Treating elevated cholesterol and preventing coronary events.
Originally marketed as: Pravachol, by Bristol-Myers Squibb
Date approved: Apr. 23, 2007 - Zolpidem Tartrate Tablets (Ambien)
Used for: Treating insomnia
Originally marketed as: Ambien, by Sanofi Aventis
Date approved: Apr. 23, 2007
For more information, the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs maintains a frequently-updated list of generic drug approvals.
