FDA OKs Generic Antidepressant Effexor
FDA OKs Generic Antidepressant Effexor
Generic Version May Bring Cost Savings, Says FDA
Aug. 9, 2006 -- People taking the antidepressantEffexor are getting a generic option.
The FDA yesterday approved the first generic version of Effexor (venlafaxine), a widely used prescription drug for major depression. The generic drug isn't the same as Effexor XR.
Generic drugs often cost less than brand-name drugs, notes Gary Buehler, director of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs.
Generic venlafaxine "can bring significant savings to millions of Americans diagnosed with [major depressive disorder]," Buehler says, in an FDA news release.
Like all antidepressants, generic venlafaxine will carry a "black box" warning about possible suicide risk in children and teens.
Generic venlafaxine will come in five doses: 25 milligrams, 37.5 milligrams, 50 milligrams, 75 milligrams, and 100 milligrams. Its maker is Teva Pharmaceuticals USA.
Effexor is made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. Wyeth is a WebMD sponsor.
SOURCE: News release, FDA.
FDA OKs Generic Antidepressant Effexor
Generic Version May Bring Cost Savings, Says FDA
Aug. 9, 2006 -- People taking the antidepressantEffexor are getting a generic option.
The FDA yesterday approved the first generic version of Effexor (venlafaxine), a widely used prescription drug for major depression. The generic drug isn't the same as Effexor XR.
Generic drugs often cost less than brand-name drugs, notes Gary Buehler, director of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs.
Generic venlafaxine "can bring significant savings to millions of Americans diagnosed with [major depressive disorder]," Buehler says, in an FDA news release.
Like all antidepressants, generic venlafaxine will carry a "black box" warning about possible suicide risk in children and teens.
Generic venlafaxine will come in five doses: 25 milligrams, 37.5 milligrams, 50 milligrams, 75 milligrams, and 100 milligrams. Its maker is Teva Pharmaceuticals USA.
Effexor is made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. Wyeth is a WebMD sponsor.
SOURCE: News release, FDA.
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