Generic version of Ambien approved by FDA

This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first generic version of zolpidem tartrate immediate release tablets. Zolpidem tartrate is the active ingredient in the well-known brand of sleeping tablets called Ambien®.

An FDA news release about the newly approved generic product says:

Zolpidem tartrate tablets in formulations of five milligrams and 10 milligrams are manufactured by multiple generic drug companies in the United States.

The following 13 manufacturers have received FDA approval for zolpidem tartrate tablets: Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA, Roxane Laboratories Inc., Watson Laboratories Inc., Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., Apotex Inc., Synthon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Genpharm Inc., Mutual Pharmaceutical Company Inc., Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd., Carlsbad Technology Inc., and Lek Pharmaceuticals.

This is particularly good news for those who do not have health insurance plans that cover the cost of prescription drugs. If you take Ambien, you may want to ask your doctor to consider writing a prescription for the new generic version. Generic drugs are less expensive than equivalent brand name drugs.

For more information about generic drugs, have a look at this FDA information sheet for consumers: Generic Drugs: What You Need to Know.

For more news and information about sleep, visit the Sleep News page on the AircrewHealth.com website.