Adderall Generic vs Brand – Which is Best and Why?
Paying full price for Adderall is an experience that no one wants to go through. Adderall is the trade name for a combination of four amphetamine salts. It is used for treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and narcolepsy. Buying the brand name Adderall can be quite expensive but has some benefits, however, if you know what to look for you can get a good deal on the adderall generic vs brand. I will take you through the basics of generic drugs and give you my top pick for best generic adderall 2022!
What are Generic Drugs?
A generic drug is one that is now being produced by manufacturers other than the original patent-holding company (due to patent expiration, which occurs after 20 years in the United States).
Average cost of Rx for a:
- Branded drug – $111.02
- Generic drug – $32.23
source
What are the FDA Requirements for Generic Drugs?
A generic drug must:
- Contain the same active ingredients as the innovator drug (inactive ingredients may vary)
- Be identical in strength, dosage form, and route of administration • Have the same use indications
- Be bioequivalent
- Meet the same batch requirements for identity, strength, purity, and quality
- Be manufactured under the same strict standards of FDA’s good manufacturing practice regulations required for innovator products
source: DC Department of health
Getting the right Generic for your Adderall Prescription
In 2002 the first generic was introduced for Adderall IR (Instant Release) by Barr Laboratories Inc (1). Since then a number of new generics have popped up on the market. I’m going to present you with the facts about generics and provide a list of the companies approved to manufacture generic Adderall. Without further ado let’s compare Adderall generic vs brand!
It is very important to keep track of which generic works best for you as the absorption between the generic and the name brand can fluctuate as much as 10% and still be considered bioequivalent (in the United States per the FDA) (2).
Studies have been done comparing the absorption of generics vs name brand drugs and have identified on average a 4.35% fluctuation in the absorption between them (3).
Adderall XR (Extended Release) Generic Brands
Shire, TEVA, and BARR generics all use the original formula. You are taking a risk with the others in terms of “being just like the original”.
| Manufacturer | Approval Date |
| *SHIRE DEVELOPMENT INC | Oct 11, 2001 |
| ACTAVIS ELIZABETH LLC | Jun 22, 2012 |
| IMPAX LABORATORIES INC | Feb 16, 2016 |
| *TEVA PHARMACEUTICALS USA INC | Apr 29, 2013 |
| *BARR LABORATORIES INC | Feb 12, 2013 |
* Shire is permitted to sell the original formula.
Adderall IR (Instant Release) Generic Brands
There are currently eleven manufacturer’s approved to sell generic instant release Adderall. Only TEVA uses the original formula.
| Manufacturer | Approval Date |
| *TEVA (BARR LABORATORIES INC) | Feb 11, 2002 |
| SANDOZ INC | Jun 14, 2002 |
| EPIC PHARMA LLC | Jun 19, 2002 |
| SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC | Sep 9, 2003 |
| SPECGX LLC | Oct 7, 2003 |
| AUROLIFE PHARMA LLC | Nov 27, 2013 |
| MYLAN PHARMACEUTICALS INC | Nov 10, 2015 |
| ACTAVIS ELIZABETH LLC | Feb 5, 2016 |
| ALVOGEN MALTA OPERATIONS LTD | Jul 28, 2017 |
| NESHER PHARMACEUTICALS USA LLC | Oct 31, 2017 |
| SUNRISE PHARMACEUTICAL INC | Dec 28, 2017 |
* Only TEVA uses the original formula
Best Generic Adderall 2022 Winner
Teva is by far the best (Adderall generic vs brand) because they use the original formula. It wins the title of best generic adderall 2022! The first picture below shows a 20 mg tablet and the second a 30 mg tablet (4).
Wondering why the label author is listed as “Barr Laboratories Inc.” and I said this is Teva? That’s because Teva acquired Barr Laboratories Inc. in 2008 (5)
References:
- “National Drug Code Amphetamine Search Results”. National Drug Code Directory. United States Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (2003). “Guidance for Industry: Bioavailability and Bioequivalence Studies for Orally Administered Drug Products — General Considerations” (PDF). United States Food and Drug Administration.
- Comparing generic and innovator drugs: a review of 12 years of bioequivalence data from the United States Food and Drug Administration. Ann Pharmacother. 2009 Oct;43(10):1583-97. doi: 10.1345/aph.1M141. Epub 2009 Sep 23.
- Identify or Search for a Pill. National Laboratory of Medicine.
- “Teva Completes Acquisition of Barr”. Drugs.com. Retrieved 31 October 2011.