Generic Adriamycin

Adriamycin is currently available in a generic version. The FDA has assigned generic Adriamycin with an "AP" rating, which means that the generic medication is considered equivalent to the brand-name medication. However, generic Adriamycin is allowed to have different inactive ingredients (such as fillers or dyes), which may cause problems for people with certain allergies or sensitivities.

 

Generic Adriamycin: An Overview

Adriamycin® (doxorubicin hydrochloride) is a prescription medication used to treat various types of cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and ovarian cancer. It is part of a group of chemotherapy medications called anthracyclines.
 
Adriamycin is currently made by Bedford Laboratories, although it was originally made by Pfizer, Inc. The patents for Adriamycin have expired, and the drug is available in generic versions.
 

Who Makes Generic Adriamycin?

Generic Adriamycin is made by the following companies:
 
  • Baxter Healthcare Corporation
  • Bedford Laboratories (who also makes brand-name Adriamycin)
  • Sicor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
     

Is Generic Doxorubicin as Good as Adriamycin?

All generic medications must undergo certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looks at these tests to decide if the generics are equivalent to the brand-name medications, and then assigns each generic a rating. An "AP" rating for injectable products means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. All of the generic doxorubicin versions currently available have an "AP" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Adriamycin.
 
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.
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;