A: The FDA recently approved the first generic versions of Coreg (generic name carvedilol). Coreg is a widely used medication that is approved to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), mild to severe chronic heart failure, and to improve heart function in people who have had a heart attack. Carvedilol is classified as a beta-blocker, which works by blocking a hormone (norepinephrine) in your body that can raise blood pressure and heart rate.
By reducing the effects of this hormone, beta-blockers can lower blood pressure and heart rate, which reduces the workload of the heart and enables it to not pump as hard. In people with weakened hearts and reduced function, carvedilol also helps to lower the heart rate and increase the heart's ability to pump blood and better supply the body with oxygen. In addition, for people who have had a heart attack that reduced how well the heart works, carvedilol can take the strain off the heart, helping to reduce the risk of another heart attack.
Coreg was the 30th top selling brand name drug in 2006. As I've noted many times before, the FDA approves all generic drugs using strict guidelines, including checking for the generic drug's chemistry by evaluating its formulation, potency, stability, and purity.
The generic drug must also pass bio-equivalency testing that compares the delivery into the bloodstream of the generic drug's active ingredient to that of the brand name drug. Generic drugs are less expensive than brand-name products, and account for about 56 percent of prescriptions dispensed.
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