More Generic Versions of Hypertension Drug Hit US Market

Teva, Mylan, and Sandoz announced the US launches of their generic equivalents to Novartis’s Exforge in 4 dosage strengths.

The amlodipine and valsartan tablets, which are available in strengths of 5 mg/160 mg, 5 mg/320 mg, 10 mg/160 mg, and 10 mg/320 mg, offer patients prescribed Exforge generic alternatives to help manage their hypertension, Teva said in a press release.

However, Teva, Mylan, and Sandoz are not the first companies to offer generic versions of Exforge. On September 30, 2014, Par Pharmaceutical launched its generic Exforge tablets in the same 4 dosage strengths after receiving approval from the FDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Application, as well as 180 days of marketing exclusivity.

Exforge and its generic equivalents are indicated to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients not adequately controlled with monotherapy, and as first-line treatment in patients likely to require multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals.

The most common side effects seen in patients taking Exforge are indigestion, muscle spasms, back pain, and swelling of the hands, ankles, and feet. Patients may also experience cold symptoms, such as sore throat.

As of January 2015, Exforge had annual sales of approximately $409 million in the United States, according to IMS data.