Generic Desloratadine

No generic desloratadine is available at this time. The patent for Clarinex will expire in 2020, after which several companies should start manufacturing a generic form. However, a number of companies currently sell fake, substandard, and possibly dangerous drugs as generic desloratadine. Until an approved generic version is available, do not buy any alleged generic forms of this drug.

 

Generic Desloratadine: An Overview

Desloratadine (Clarinex®) is a prescription medication that has been licensed to treat several conditions. These desloratadine uses include:
 
  • Relief of seasonal allergy symptoms (hay fever)
  • Relief of indoor allergy symptoms
  • Treatment of chronic (long-term) hives and itching.
     
Desloratadine is manufactured by Schering and is currently protected by a patent that prevents any generic desloratadine from being manufactured. Despite this, search the Internet for "generic desloratadine" and you will find a number of companies selling it. The fact is that these medicines are fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous. You should not buy any generic desloratadine until there is an approved generic form available.
 

When Will There Be a Generic Desloratadine?

The patent for Clarinex currently expires in 2020. It is expected that once this happens, several companies will begin manufacturing a generic desloratadine drug. Normally in the United States, one company is given 180 days of exclusivity to manufacture a generic version. After 180 days, it would be expected that a number of other manufacturers of generic medications will also begin making a generic desloratadine.
 

Is Desloratadine a Generic Clarinex?

No, it isn't. Desloratadine is the active ingredient in Clarinex, not a generic version of it. It's easy to confuse the terms "generic name" and "active ingredient" because of the tendency to refer to any drug's active ingredient as its generic name. But a medicine's active ingredient is different from its generic version. For there to be a generic version, the original medicine must have gone off-patent and another company besides the original manufacturer must have made the product.
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;