Generic Avalide

You can now buy Avalide (irbesartan/HCTZ) as a brand-name or a generic drug. The generic version comes in two strengths and is made by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The FDA has assigned the generics an "AB" rating, meaning they are considered equivalent to the brand-name medication.

Can I Buy Generic Avalide?

Avalide® (irbesartan/HCTZ) is a prescription medication used to control blood pressure in people with hypertension (high blood pressure). It is a combination of two high blood pressure medications: irbesartan (Avapro®) and hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide®, Oretic®), or HCTZ for short.
 
Brand-name Avalide is made by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company for sanofi-aventis. However, the first patent for this medication has expired, and it is now available in generic form, too.
 

Availability of Generic Avalide

Generic Avalide tablets are available in the two following strengths (just like brand-name Avalide):
 
  • Irbesartan/HCTZ 150/12.5 mg -- 150 mg of irbesartan and 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide
  • Irbesartan 300/12.5 mg -- 300 mg of irbesartan and 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide.
     
It is made by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, who will be the sole supplier of generic Avalide for the first six months, after which more generic versions will become available.
 

Is Generic Irbesartan/HCTZ as Good as Avalide?

All generic medications must undergo certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications.
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then looks at these tests to decide if the generics are equivalent to the brand-name medications and assigns a rating to each one.
 
An "AB" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. The generic versions of Avalide currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Avalide.
 
However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than the brand-name medication. This might include fillers, dyes, or other ingredients that may cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities.
 
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
 
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