What You Need to Know About "Generic" Lunesta
Lunesta® (
eszopiclone) is a prescription medication that has been licensed as a sleep medication to treat
insomnia. The drug is manufactured by Sepracor, Inc. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic versions from being manufactured in the United States. Yet, if you search the Internet for "generic Lunesta," you may find a number of companies selling it.
The fact is that these medicines are fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous. Generic Lunesta may be available from another country, but there is really no way of knowing if you are getting genuine Lunesta or not. You should not buy any so-called generic versions until an approved version is available.
When Will Generic Lunesta Be Available?
The first two patents for this medicine expired in January 2012.
However, the drug is not yet available in generic form. Most likely, this means that one or more other, later-expiring patents are still protecting the medication from generic competition. The next Lunesta patent is set to expire in August 2012. This is the earliest possible date that a generic version could become available.
However, certain circumstances could extend the exclusivity period beyond 2012, such as other patents for specific
Lunesta uses or lawsuits. Once the drug goes off-patent, several companies will likely manufacture a generic version.
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