Is There a Generic Version of Visken Available?
Visken® (
pindolol) is a prescription medication that belongs to a group of medications known as
beta blockers. It is approved for
treating high blood pressure. It is one of only a few beta blockers with "intrinsic sympathomimetic activity" (ISA), which means that it slightly stimulates beta receptors while simultaneously blocking them.
Brand-name Visken was made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation but is no longer available. Fortunately, this medication is still available in generic form.
Generic Visken tablets are available in the following strengths:
- Pindolol 5 mg
- Pindolol 10 mg.
Who Makes the Generic Form of Visken?
A few different companies make a generic version of Visken, such as:
- Mutual Pharmaceutical Co., Inc.
- Mylan Pharmaceuticals
- URL Pharma
- Watson Pharmaceuticals.
Is Generic Pindolol as Good as Visken?
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 pindolol versions currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Visken.
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.
