Generic Atacand (candesartan) is indicated for the treatment of high blood pressure or hypertension. Controlling high blood pressure is important to prevent the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even kidney disease.
Candesartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) used to lower blood pressure in antihypertensive patients. Other common ARBs include losartan (Generic Cozaar), irbesartan (Generic Avapro), valsartan (Generic Diovan), and olmesartan (Generic Benicar).
Name and Equivalent
Candesartan is manufactured under the brand name Atacand by a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company called AstraZeneca. However, it is not available in a generic version that is manufactured in India by Mylan. A Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis’ generic division Sandoz also develops the generic version of candesartan.
Prices for Generic Atacand are more than 50% cheaper than brand name Atacand. The prices will continue to drop as other manufacturers have been getting approval to market their generic versions of Atacand. According to GoodRx, the price for 30 tablets of Generic Atacand range from about $40 to $125, depending on the dosage and pharmacy.
Side Effects
Some of the common side effects of Generic Atacand include back pain, dizziness, cold- or flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sneezing, and a runny nose), sore throat, and nasal congestion. These are common, mild side effects of generic candesartan and may go away within a few days or weeks of treatment. If they persist or become severe, talk to your doctor.
Serious side effects of Generic Atacand may include low blood pressure, with symptoms such as feeling dizzy, lightheadedness, fatigue, muscle weakness, heart rhythm changes, or any allergic reactions.
Recall
In December 2014, Sandoz recalled one lot of its Generic Atacand because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the drug was tainted with impurities. At the time, Sandoz initiated a Class III voluntary recall of 6,336 bottles of generic candesartan after they contained more impurities than the specification allows, endangering patients’ lives.
It was the second recall of a blood pressure drug for Mylan. In July 2014, Mylan voluntarily recalled nearly 16,000 bottles of generic metoprolol after a “pharmacist reported a rogue tablet of different size and markings in a bottle of metoprolol,” the company reported. In October 2020, Mylan recalled more than 10,000 bottles of a combination of generic candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets due to organic impurity results. The recall affected 90-count bottles from one lot and 500-count bottles from another. The recalled produces were distributed within the United States.
