Generic Comtan: An Overview
Comtan is marketed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and is made by Orion Corporation, Inc. At this time, no generic Comtan is available in the United States. However, if you search the Internet, you may find various Web sites selling it. These medicines could be fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous. There is no way of knowing if you are actually getting genuine Comtan. You should not buy any generic Comtan until an approved version is available.
When Will Generic Comtan Be Available?
There are several different patents for Comtan, some of which have expired and some of which have not. The earliest patent expired in November 2007, and the latest patent is set to expire in September 2018. Sun Pharmaceuticals has challenged some of the Comtan patents and has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make a generic Comtan. Orion (the maker of Comtan) and Sun Pharmaceuticals are currently involved in a lawsuit about generic Comtan. It is likely that the outcome of this lawsuit will determine when a generic version of the drug will become available.
Is Entacapone the Same as Generic Comtan?
No -- entacapone is the active ingredient in Comtan, but is not a generic version of it. What can be confusing is that, oftentimes, the active ingredient of a drug is referred to as the "generic name." The generic name is different from a generic version of a medicine. 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 make the product.
