Generic Xenical

Generic Xenical - An Introduction

Xenical® (orlistat) is a medication for weight loss available only on prescription. It works by obstructing fat absorption from your diet. It has been approved to aid people in losing weight as well as to keep off weight already lost. It must be used only with a combination of an appropriate diet.

Xenical is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Currently, it is under the protection of a patent, which prevents the manufacture of generic versions of the drug in the United States.

Generic Xenical - When will it be available?

The exclusive rights to market this drug is with GlaxoSmithKline till December 2009. This is the earliest possible time when a generic version of Xenical might be offered. But, there could be other conditions that might arise that could extend the period of holding of the exclusive right. This might also include for instance, other patents for explicit Xenical uses or lawsuits. As soon as the period of patent expires, it is possible for other companies to start the manufacture of generic Xenical.

Orlistat - Is it similar to Generic Xenical?

Orlistat is not the same as generic Xenical. It is an active ingredient used in Xenical and in the non-prescription drug, Alit™, and is not a generic version of Xenical. The confusion arises as usually, an active ingredient of any medication is sometimes referred to as the generic name. It is to be noted that the generic name is not the same as the generic version of a medication. For the existence of a generic version of a medication, the original drug should have been rendered off-patent and any other company other than the original manufacturer should manufacture the medication.