Generic Cozaar

Both brand-name and generic versions of Cozaar are now available. The generic form of the drug comes in three strengths and is currently marketed by Teva Pharmaceuticals and several other companies. The FDA has assigned generic Cozaar an "AB" rating, which means it is considered equivalent to the brand-name product.

Cozaar Medication

Can I Buy Generic Cozaar?

Cozaar^® (losartan potassium) is a prescription medication that has been licensed to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetic nephropathy. It is part of a class of drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs for short).

As the name of the drug class implies, Cozaar blocks angiotensin II receptors. This decreases the effectiveness of a chemical known as angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow (constrict). By blocking the effects of this chemical, Cozaar causes blood vessels to relax, which can lower blood pressure.

Brand-name Cozaar is manufactured by Merck & Co. The medication is also available in generic form.

Availability of Generic Cozaar

Generic Cozaar tablets are available in the following strengths:

Losartan 25 mg
Losartan 50 mg
Losartan 100 mg.

Teva Pharmaceuticals was awarded 180 days to exclusively market their generic version of losartan without any competition in exchange for successfully challenging a Cozaar patent. After that exclusivity period, which started in April 2010 and ended in October 2010, generic losartan became available from several other manufacturers as well.

Is Generic Losartan as Good as Cozaar?

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. All of the generic losartan versions currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Cozaar.

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.