Will a generic Nexium ever be produced? This stuff is expensive!!!!?

Question

I don't have health insurance yet, but I have to take Nexium for my acid reflux. Are they ever going to make a generic version???

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Nexium is one of the isomers of Prilosec. The dextrorotary isomer seems more or less inactive, and the levorotary one is the one in Nexium, whereas Prilosec has equal amounts of both. It's a point of contention whether companies should be allowed to play with patent law by doing this sort of thing. But the fact is that the older Prilosec is over the counter, and 40 mg of Prilosec contains 20 mg of Nexium.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

I might have to use Prilosec.

Answer 2

Aren't there other prescription's for acid reflux that you could use that are lass expensive. Mal-mart and Meijers has some choices for $4.00 prescriptions.

Answer 3

i also have it as well have you tried any of the over the counter products such as prilosec .. in the purple box..

Answer 4

Generic medications are made when the initial patents expire on the original medication formula, in this case Nexium. Many companies thrive solely on these expirations. Most medications are given an initial 5-20 year patent. Some companies that are waiting for these patents to expire start making the generics as soon as the initial medications are given their patents.
For this very reason, you will find that when companies like AstraZeneca, the company who makes Nexium, begun to see an end to the patent, that is when they "discover" a new improved medication. It is most of the time due to the fact that they do not want a generic of their medication made because people won't buy the more expensive.
So you know, AstraZeneca has a patent for Nexium until 2018. Also to note, Prilosec, which now has a generic, was never proven not to provide the same treatment as Nexium. The similarity of the drugs' generic names, omeprazole and esomeprazole, respectively, speak to the similarity of their chemical structures.

Generic drug makers are challenging Nexium's patents in the United States.

AstraZeneca said Nexium's $4.6 billion in worldwide sales accounted for about a fifth of the company's third-quarter revenue.