Generic Estraderm

There are currently no generic Estraderm products available on the market. Although other generic hormone patches are available with the same active ingredient and in the same strength, none of these are equivalent to Estraderm. These other products are most likely deemed different from Estraderm because they do not release estradiol at the same rate or for the same length of time as Estraderm patches.

Estraderm Patch Information

Generic Estraderm: An Overview

Estraderm^® (estradiol patch) is a prescription estrogen hormone replacement medication. It is approved for the following uses:

Treating certain menopausal symptoms, such as vaginal dryness or irritation, hot flashes, and night sweats
Preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
Replacing hormones in younger women whose ovaries do not produce enough estrogen.

Estraderm is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. It is currently not available in generic form.

Why Isn't Generic Estraderm Available?

There are generic estradiol patches available in the same strength as Estraderm. However, these patches are not equivalent to Estraderm.

All generic medications must undergo certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then looks at these tests to decide which medications are equivalent to each other and assigns each medication a rating. Estraderm has a "BX" rating, which means that no other product (generic or otherwise) is equivalent to Estraderm, even though other patches with the same active ingredient in the same strength are available. Most likely, these other patches have not been shown to release estradiol at the same rate or for the same length of time as Estraderm patches.