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Generic Aralen
At this time, generic Aralen (chloroquine phosphate) is available. It comes in two strengths and is considered equivalent to the brand-name product. However, the generic versions are allowed to contain different inactive ingredients than brand-name Aralen. For people with certain allergies or sensitivities, this could cause problems.
Aralen® (chloroquine phosphate) is a prescription medication used to prevent and treat malaria infections. It is also used to treat a parasitic infection called amebiasis when the infection occurs outside the intestines (most commonly in the liver).
This medication is made by sanofi-aventis U.S. The patents for Aralen have expired, and it is available as a generic.
Generic Aralen tablets are available in the following strengths:
- Chloroquine 250 mg
- Chloroquine 500 mg.
Generic Aralen is made by different companies, including Global Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corp.
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 "AA" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. All of the generic chloroquine tablets currently available have an "AA" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Aralen.
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