Is There A Generic Version Of Nexium and How Effective Is It

At the moment there is no generic version of Nexium available on the market, however a generic drug maker has made a preliminary filing with U.S health regulators to seek authorization for a generic version of Nexium produced by AstraZeneca pharmaceuticals.

The company, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., is based in Hyderabad, India and if they succeed in getting AstraZeneca’s patent overturned, they can begin selling a cheap version of this drug, as early as this year. Nexium’s patent is officially valid until 2019.

Generic drug competition can have devastating effects on a branded pharmaceutical company's profit. In 2002, AstraZeneca experienced a plummet in the profits of Prilosec, an older heartburn medication. Sales of this once the top-selling prescription drug in the world have fallen sharply since the arrival of less expensive generic versions in 2002. AstraZeneca developed Nexium as a successor to Prilosec as the older drug's patent protection was going to expire. Nexium is very similar to Prilosec. In fact Nexium is one-half of a Prilosec molecule, but its chemical structure is different enough that it requires its own patent protection.

Another generic version of Nexium available on the internet at the moment is manufactured by Torrent Pharmaceuticals, it is known as Nexpro. Nexpro contains the same active ingredient as Nexium and is supplied in strips of 10 tablets.