Generic medications have the same chemical ingredients as those of the brand name drugs. They are typically manufactured by companies other than those that developed the original medicine, and they generally sell at a lower price than the brand names. Pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to legally produce generic versions of drugs until the patent protection afforded the original developers of the drug expires. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives this protection for 12 years, but because this includes trials, most drugs are on the market with legal protection for 7 years.
Prevacid
Prevacid is the brand name under which lansoprazole originally was manufactured and sold by TAP Pharmaceuticals, a large Japanese drug company. The patent protection ran out in 2009 and the company immediately began selling an over-the-counter (OTC) version of the medication under the same name, Prevacid. At least one other company now sells it generically as a prescription drug under the generic name, lansoprazole. The medicine is used in the treatment of ulcers of the gastric and duodenal variety, as well as for gastroesophageal reflux disease commonly known as GERD. The Mayo Clinic states that lansoprazole also may be used in the treatment of Zollinger-Ellison disease. This is a problem of the stomach in which more than the normal amount of acid is produced. The most common serious side effects of the drug include a rash and diarrhea.
Aleve
Aleve is the most common brand name of naproxen sodium in the United States. The generic form is sold OTC by many companies since Bayer Consumer Care, the company that developed it, lost patent protection. Most of these are store brand names with the words "naproxen sodium" clearly marked. It still is available as a prescription-level pain reliever, as well. Aleve is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine, or NSAID. Common serious side effects include headaches, pain in the stomach and breathing difficulties.
Prozac
Fluoxetine hydrochloride was first approved by the FDA in 1987 as the first SSRI, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, antidepressant. The original brand name of the drug, and the one it most commonly is referred to as, is Prozac. Following the loss of patent protection other companies market the generic form of the drug as fluoxetine as well as Sarafem, Selfemra and Rapiflux in the United States. Common serious side effects of this prescription-only medication include restlessness and a rash.
Glyburide
Glyvuride is a prescription-only generic medication that is sold as Diabeta, Glycron, Glynase and Micronase in the United States. It is used to balance blood sugar levels with insulin by forcing the pancreas to produce more insulin. It is used in the treatment of diabetes Type II. Common non-serious side effects include nausea and heartburn. There are no common serious side effects, according to Drugs.com.
