Generic Procardia

Generic Procardia is currently available in two strengths, nifedipine 10 mg and nifedipine 20 mg. The FDA has assigned generic Procardia an "AB" rating, meaning the generic medication is equivalent to brand-name Procardia. However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients (such as fillers or dyes) than brand-name medications, which may cause problems in people with allergies or sensitivities.

 

An Overview of Generic Procardia

Procardia® (nifedipine) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of chest pain (known medically as angina). It is part of a group of medications called calcium channel blockers.
 
Procardia was first manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. However, it has since come off patent and is available as a generic.
 

Strengths of Generic Procardia

Generic Procardia capsules are available in the following strengths:
 
  • Nifedipine 10 mg capsules
  • Nifedipine 20 mg capsules.
     
Brand-name Procardia is no longer available in the 20 mg strength.
 

Who Makes Generic Procardia?

Generic Procardia is made by the following manufacturers:
 
  • Purepac Pharmaceuticals
  • Apotheca
  • Glasgow Pharmaceutical Corporation.
     

Is Generic Nifedipine as Good as Procardia?

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 if the generics are equivalent to the brand-name medications and assigns each generic a rating. An "AB" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. All of the generic Procardia versions currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Procardia. Keep in mind that there are other versions of nifedipine that are not equivalent to regular Procardia, but are equivalent to other products (such as Procardia XL).
 
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;