Generic Gardasil

A patent currently prevents any generic form of Gardasil from being manufactured and sold. The earliest date that a generic Gardasil could become available is in 2017, when the patent expires. However, there are several situations that could extend that date beyond 2017, including lawsuits or other patents for specific uses of Gardasil.

 

Generic for Gardasil: An Overview

Gardasil® (Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus [Types 6, 11, 16, and 18] Recombinant Vaccine) is a vaccine that has been licensed to prevent cervical cancer, genital warts, and various precancerous genital lesions caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV for short).
 
Gardasil is approved for use in girls and women age 9 to 26.
 
Gardasil is manufactured by Merck & Co. It is currently protected by a patent that prevents any generic Gardasil from being manufactured.
 

Gardasil Patent Expiration

The first patent for Gardasil currently expires in 2017. This is the earliest date that a generic version of Gardasil could become available. However, there are other circumstances that could come up to extend the exclusivity period of Gardasil beyond 2017. This could include such things as lawsuits or other patents for specific Gardasil uses. Once Gardasil goes off patent, there may be several companies that manufacture a generic Gardasil drug.
 

Generic Gardasil Versus Generic Name?

Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Recombinant Vaccine is the active ingredient in Gardasil, but it is not a generic version of Gardasil. Oftentimes, the active ingredient of a drug is referred to as the "generic name." The generic name is different than a generic version of a medicine. In order for there to be a generic version of a medicine, the original medicine must have gone off patent, and then another company (besides the original manufacturer) would make the product.
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;