Generic Catapres

Is a Generic Version of Catapres Available?

Catapres^® (clonidine hydrochloride) is a prescription medication approved for the treatment of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. It belongs to a group of medications known as alpha-2 adrenergic agonists.

 

Brand-name Catapres is made by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The patents for this medication have expired, and it is now available in generic form.

 

Catapres comes in the form of tablets or skin patches. This article applies to the tablet form only (see Catapres-TTS for information about the patch form).

 

Strengths of Generic Catapres

Generic Catapres tablets are available in the following strengths:

 

Who Makes the Generic Versions?

A few different companies make a generic version of Catapres, such as:

 

Is Generic Clonidine as Good as Catapres?

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 each generic a rating. An "AB" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. All of the generic clonidine tablets currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Catapres tablets.

 

However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than the brand-name medication. This might include fillers or dyes or other ingredients that may cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities.