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Generic Avodart
A patent currently prevents any generic Avodart from being manufactured in the United States. For your safety, you should not buy anything claiming to be "generic Avodart" until an approved version is available. The earliest date that an approved generic could become available for sale is in 2013, when the patent for Avodart expires.
Avodart® (dutasteride) is a prescription medication that has been licensed to treat an enlarged prostate. Enlarged prostate is also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.
Avodart is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic Avodart from being manufactured in the United States. Yet, if you search the Internet for "generic Avodart," you may find a number of companies selling it. The fact is that these medicines could be fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous.
There may be a generic Avodart available from another country, but there is really no way of knowing if you are getting genuine Avodart or not. You should not buy any "generic Avodart" until there is an approved generic available.
When Will a Generic Version Be Available?
The first patent for Avodart currently expires in 2013. This is the earliest predictable date that a generic version of Avodart could become available.
However, there are other circumstances that could come up to extend the exclusivity period of Avodart beyond 2013. These circumstances could include such things as other patents for specific Avodart uses or lawsuits. Once Avodart goes off-patent, there may be several companies that manufacture a generic Avodart drug.
No. Dutasteride is the active ingredient in Avodart, not a generic version of the drug. Although people often refer to a drug's active ingredient as its "generic name," the generic name of a drug is different than a generic version of it. 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 have made the product.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD