Auvelity Generic: When Will Generic Bupropion and Dextromethorphan Be Available?

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS

This page is aggregated from FDA records, court filings and company announcements. Coded and designed by

Updated October 9, 2026 How we build our data

Auvelity Generic at a Glance

Four quick answers from FDA records and our estimate.

  1. When is the first generic expected? September 2038 About 12 years away Why then?
  2. Has the FDA approved a generic? Not yet None in the FDA’s records yet Why not yet?
  3. When does the last patent end? November 2043 148 patents listed with the FDA Why is a generic expected sooner?
  4. Can you buy a generic today? Not yet No company lists one for sale

Explains

PharmD, BCPS · Clinical pharmacist Updated

Generic bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide is expected to be available in September 2038, about 12 years away. None is for sale yet.

Why September 2038?

The brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch. We rate it very likely: few things could still move it, but a court ruling or a new deal can.

If Auvelity’s last patent runs to November 2043, how can a generic come sooner?

The 37 patents that run past the expected month, to November 2043 (10,780,064, 10,925,842, 10,940,124, 10,966,942 and 33 more), cover a way of using it and the product’s formulation. A patent like that protects one way of making or using the medicine, not the medicine itself. A generic company can often make its version a different way or leave that use off its label, or a court can rule the patent invalid or not infringed. Here, a settlement between the companies sets the date. Generic companies have been challenging Auvelity’s patents with the FDA since December 2022. That is why the expected month comes before the last protection ends. See the road to a generic

Why hasn’t the FDA approved a generic yet?

That is normal before a launch. The FDA usually can’t give a generic its final approval while a patent or exclusivity still blocks it, so final approval often comes close to the day the generic can be sold. No company holds a “tentative” approval yet either (the FDA’s word for a generic that is ready but still blocked).

Will the generic cost less?

Usually, and more so as more companies sell one. One company has applied to the FDA to make it. In the FDA’s study of past launches, pharmacies paid about 31% less once one company sold a generic, which would take the $19.90 pharmacies pay per tablet for Auvelity today to about $13.73. See the price estimate

What should I do now?

Keep taking Auvelity as prescribed. When a generic arrives, your pharmacy may switch you to it automatically, and it may look different. What a generic means for you

Our month is only an estimate based on available information, so we never name a day.

Auvelity by the Numbers

Reason
Settlement between companiesThe brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch.
How sure
Very likely Few things could still move it, but a court ruling or a new deal can.
Price competition
Low 1 company has filed, 1 first in line
Brand sales
$805M a yearBig seller
  • FDA approved 2022 August 2022 FDA Orange Book
  • Patents listed 148 last runs to November 2043 A generic is expected sooner, in September 2038. See why FDA Orange Book
  • Pharmacies pay $19.90 per tablet, up 12.3% in a year NADAC, October 2026
  • Medicare Part D spent $131.2M in 2025, for 24K people CMS Part D Spending by Drug
  • Medicaid prescriptions 145.8K in the last four reported quarters, $152.7M CMS Medicaid drug utilization, to Q1 2026

Auvelity’s Road to a Generic

Auvelity has had the market to itself since the FDA approved it in August 2022 (Axsome Therapeutics Inc). Its FDA protection (new use) runs to April 2029. Its 148 listed patents run to November 2043. Generic companies have challenged its patents with the FDA since December 2022.

The first generic of Auvelity is expected in September 2038.

Why that month: the brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch. That is about 5 years before the last listed patent runs out, in November 2043.

Brand alone on the market Since FDA approval, August 2022
New use Ends April 2029
Patent 11,752,144 Expires February 2043
Patent 12,042,473 Expires February 2043
Patent 11,839,612 Expires March 2043
Patent 11,844,797 Expires April 2043
Patent 12,194,036 Expires April 2043
Patent 12,653,795 Expires November 2043
Brand alone on the market FDA exclusivity Patent on a use First generic expected 142 more patents end earlier; every patent is in the table below. Swipe the chart sideways to see every year.

Why a Generic Can Come Before November 2043

The last listed patent runs to November 2043, but it covers a way of using it and the product’s formulation, not the medicine itself, which a generic can often work around or challenge. Dr. Brian explains

Each bar runs from the brand’s approval to the day that protection ends. The green band is our projection for the first generic: a month, never a day, because legal dates move and a generic reaches shelves days to weeks after it is allowed. Sources: FDA Orange Book; the expected month from court records and company announcements.

Auvelity Patents and FDA Protections

Every patent and exclusivity the FDA Orange Book lists for Auvelity’s own applications. A protection running past the expected month does not mean the date is wrong: a settlement or a court ruling can let a generic in before a patent ends, and a patent on one formulation or use does not block every generic.

Patents listed with the FDA (148)
PatentWhat it coversProtects untilStatus
8,569,328 The product’s formulation; a way of using it (U-3419, U-4516) July 2032 Active
9,168,234 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,198,905 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4520) November 2034 Active
9,205,083 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4520) November 2034 Active
9,238,032 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4520) November 2034 Active
9,278,095 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,314,462 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,370,513 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4520) November 2034 Active
9,375,429 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,408,815 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,421,176 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,457,023 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,457,025 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,474,731 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4520) November 2034 Active
9,486,450 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,700,528 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,700,553 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,707,191 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4522) November 2034 Active
9,763,932 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,861,595 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,867,819 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
9,968,568 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,058,518 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4522) November 2034 Active
10,064,857 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,080,727 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4520) November 2034 Active
10,092,560 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,092,561 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,105,327 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,105,361 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4522) November 2034 Active
10,251,879 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,463,634 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,512,643 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,548,857 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,596,167 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,772,850 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,780,066 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,786,469 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,786,496 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,799,497 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,806,710 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,864,209 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,874,663 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,874,664 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,874,665 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,881,624 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,881,657 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,894,046 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,894,047 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,898,453 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,933,034 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,945,973 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,966,941 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
10,966,974 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,007,189 A way of using it (U-4516) November 2034 Active
11,020,389 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,058,648 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,065,248 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,090,300 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,096,937 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,123,343 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,123,344 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,129,826 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,141,388 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,141,416 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,147,808 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,185,515 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,191,739 The product’s formulation; a way of using it (U-3419, U-4516) November 2034 Active
11,197,839 The product’s formulation; a way of using it (U-3419, U-4516) November 2034 Active
11,207,281 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4537) November 2034 Active
11,213,521 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,229,640 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,234,946 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,253,491 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,253,492 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,273,133 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,273,134 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,285,118 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,285,146 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,291,638 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,291,665 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,298,351 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,298,352 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,311,534 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,344,544 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,357,744 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,364,233 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,382,874 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,419,867 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,426,370 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,426,401 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,433,067 The product’s formulation; a way of using it (U-3419, U-4516) November 2034 Active
11,439,636 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4517) November 2034 Active
11,478,468 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,497,721 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,510,918 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,517,542 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,517,543 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,524,007 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,524,008 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,534,414 The product’s formulation; a way of using it (U-3419, U-4516) November 2034 Active
11,541,021 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,541,048 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,571,417 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,576,909 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,590,124 A way of using it (U-3419, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,596,627 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,617,728 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,617,747 A way of using it (U-3563, U-4526) November 2034 Active
11,779,579 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
11,969,421 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
12,109,178 A way of using it (U-3419) November 2034 Active
10,780,064 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2040 Active
10,925,842 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2040 Active
10,940,124 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2040 Active
10,966,942 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2040 Active
12,433,884 A way of using it (U-4514) June 2040 Active
12,472,156 A way of using it (U-4516) June 2040 Active
12,576,078 A way of using it (U-4516) June 2040 Active
11,896,563 A way of using it (U-3419) December 2041 Active
12,390,428 A way of using it (U-3419) December 2041 Active
11,717,518 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
11,925,636 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
12,156,914 The product’s formulation January 2043 Active
12,239,642 A way of using it (U-4515) January 2043 Active
12,263,161 A way of using it (U-4515) January 2043 Active
12,310,961 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
12,357,697 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
12,472,174 A way of using it (U-4515) January 2043 Active
12,478,622 A way of using it (U-4515) January 2043 Active
12,564,587 A way of using it (U-4515) January 2043 Active
12,661,408 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
12,678,506 The product’s formulation January 2043 Active
11,730,706 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
11,883,373 A way of using it (U-3419) January 2043 Active
12,194,005 A way of using it (U-4523) January 2043 Active
12,364,674 A way of using it (U-4516) January 2043 Active
11,986,444 A way of using it (U-3419) February 2043 Active
12,036,191 A way of using it (U-3419) February 2043 Active
12,370,154 A way of using it (U-4518) February 2043 Active
12,599,576 A way of using it (U-4518) February 2043 Active
11,752,144 A way of using it (U-3419) February 2043 Active
12,042,473 A way of using it (U-3419) February 2043 Active
12,146,889 A way of using it (U-3419) February 2043 Active
12,472,155 A way of using it (U-4519) February 2043 Active
11,839,612 A way of using it (U-3419) March 2043 Active
11,844,797 A way of using it (U-3778) April 2043 Active
12,194,036 A way of using it (U-4521) April 2043 Active
12,653,795 A way of using it (U-4516) November 2043 Active
FDA exclusivities (1)
ExclusivityWhat it meansEndsStatus
New use I-913Three years of protection for a newly approved use (indication).April 2029Active

Source: FDA Orange Book, application 215430. Patent numbers open the patent on Google Patents.

Patent Challenges to Auvelity

The first patent challenge to Auvelity reached the FDA in December 2022, from one company on that first day. The FDA has not approved a first challenger’s generic yet.

What Is a Patent Challenge?

A generic company that wants to sell its version before Auvelity’s patents run out can tell the FDA that a patent is invalid, or that its version does not infringe it. The FDA calls this a “Paragraph IV certification.” The brand company usually sues, and the FDA then generally cannot approve that generic for up to 30 months while the case runs. To reward going first, the companies that challenge first can get a 180-day head start: the FDA cannot approve the generics that came after them until it ends.

Patent challenges on the FDA’s list (1)
ProductFirst challengedCompanies that day180-day head startFirst challenger’s genericChallenged patents run to
ApprovedOn sale
Extended-release tablet, 45 mg/105 mg December 2022 1 company No decision yet Not yet Not yet January 2040

Source: the FDA’s Paragraph IV Patent Certifications list, as of September 2026. The FDA began posting the 180-day decisions and the first challenger’s approval and first sale in June 2019: an older entry it has not updated since reads “Not posted”, and “Not yet” means the list records no such event. “Companies that day” is the FDA’s count of challenges that arrived on the first day.

Who Is Lined Up to Make Generic Bupropion Hydrochloride and Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide

Three steps stand between a brand and a generic you can buy: a company applies to the FDA, the FDA approves it, and the company starts selling it.

1

Applied to the FDA

One company has applied to the FDA to make generic bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide.

The FDA names a company only once it approves its application, even tentatively, and it has not done that for this one yet, so the company is not named here. Names often come out in the brand company’s patent lawsuits or in the companies’ own announcements.

First in line. One of them was first in line: the first company to challenge the brand’s patents can earn 180 days on the market before the other generics, which is why being first matters.

Generic companies have challenged Auvelity’s patents with the FDA since December 2022: see the patent challenges.

2

Approved by the FDA

Not yet. The FDA has not approved a generic bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide. Final approval often comes close to the day a generic can be sold.

3

For Sale in Pharmacies

Not yet. No company lists a generic bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide for sale with the FDA.

Sources: how many companies have applied, from court records and company announcements; approved generics from the FDA Orange Book; tentative approvals from Drugs@FDA; what is for sale from the FDA NDC Directory. The FDA does not disclose an application before it approves it (21 CFR 314.430).

Auvelity Price: What Pharmacies Pay and What Generics Usually Do

What Pharmacies Pay for Auvelity ER 45-105 mg tablet

$19.90 per tablet in October 2026, up 12.3% from a year earlier.

Hover over or tap anywhere on the chart to see that month’s price.

See the numbers
MonthPharmacies paid per tablet
October 2026$19.90
September 2026$19.90
August 2026$19.90
July 2026$19.89
June 2026$19.90
May 2026$19.90
April 2026$19.88
March 2026$19.88
February 2026$19.88
January 2026$19.88
February 2024$17.72
January 2024$17.72

NADAC: the national average price retail pharmacies pay to buy the medicine (CMS survey, updated weekly), the last price of each month for one package. It is not what you pay: that depends on your insurance or discount card.

What a Generic Could Cost

What Pharmacies Pay for Auvelity Today$19.90per tablet · October 2026
Our Estimate for Generic Auvelityabout $13.73per tablet once generics reach pharmacies, about 31% less than today

How we estimate it. We start from what pharmacies pay for Auvelity today: $19.90 per tablet for Auvelity ER 45-105 mg tablet in October 2026, from the national NADAC survey. Then we apply the FDA’s finding of how far that price usually falls as generic companies join: about 31% with one company, 44% with two, 73% with four and over 95% with six or more (the typical drop for every drug whose first generic came out from 2015 to 2017). Auvelity has one company lined up, so our estimate uses the figure for one company. More companies would bring the price lower; fewer, less of a drop.

Dollar figures apply FDA’s median drops to the $19.90 pharmacies pay per tablet today. An estimate from the pattern, not a price quote: what you pay depends on your insurance or discount card.

Median prices pharmacies paid for the generic (invoice prices), compared with the brand’s price before generic entry, from FDA’s 2019 analysis “Generic Competition and Drug Prices”. At the manufacturer’s price FDA found steeper drops (about 39%, 54%, 79% and over 95%), the figures quoted elsewhere on this tracker. A typical pattern, not a price quote for this medicine.

What Medicare and Medicaid Spend on Auvelity

Big public spending is part of why generic makers line up for a medicine, and why its first generic matters beyond the pharmacy counter. Figures are before manufacturer rebates, which are confidential.

Medicare Part D Spending

What Medicare drug plans spent on Auvelity, before manufacturer rebates.

$40.6M
January to March 2026, the latest CMS has posted
For 16,536 people, about $1,164 per prescription fill
$131.2M
2025, the whole year
For 24,026 people, about $1,095 per prescription fill
See the numbers
PeriodSpendingPeoplePer fill
January to March 2026$40,628,85616,536$1,164.38
2025$131,209,36524,026$1,095.07

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug, matched by the brand name Auvelity only, so no generic is counted in it. What CMS says it is used for: This combination medication is used to treat depression. This medication is also used to treat agitation that may occur with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

Medicaid Prescriptions by Quarter

145,767 prescriptions in the four quarters to Q1 2026, $152.7M paid.

See the numbers
QuarterPrescriptionsMedicaid paid
Q1 202638,043$41,920,250
Q4 202538,540$39,873,771
Q3 202536,492$37,659,423
Q2 202532,692$33,221,412
Q1 202529,004$29,297,410

Source: CMS Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data, over Auvelity’s own package codes.

Auvelity Strengths and Forms

StrengthFormHow it is takenApprovedStatus
105MG;45MGTablet, extended releaseOralAugust 2022Prescription reference product
105MG;30MGTablet, extended releaseOralApril 2026Prescription reference product

Source: FDA Orange Book, Axsome Therapeutics Inc. Listed for sale today by Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (FDA NDC Directory).

Auvelity NDC Codes and Packages

Each Auvelity package sold today has its own NDC, the product number printed on the box and on the pharmacy label. Open one to see that package’s details, what pharmacies pay for it and its patent timeline.

Auvelity packages (9)
NDCProductPackageCompany
81968-0030-22DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE 30 mg/1 / BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE 105 mg/1 tablet, multilayer, extended releasebottle of 21 tabletsAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0045-14DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE 45 mg/1 / BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE 105 mg/1 tablet, multilayer, extended releasebottle of 14 tabletsAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0045-30DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE 45 mg/1 / BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE 105 mg/1 tablet, multilayer, extended releasebottle of 30 tabletsAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0045-30DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE 45 mg/1 / BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE 105 mg/1 tablet, multilayer, extended releasebottle of 30 tabletsAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0045-31DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE 45 mg/1 / BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE 105 mg/1 tablet, multilayer, extended releasebottle of 30 tabletsAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0045-60DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE 45 mg/1 / BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE 105 mg/1 tablet, multilayer, extended releasebottle of 60 tabletsAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0345-01kit1 KIT in 1 KIT * 30 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLE * 1 BOTTLE in 1 CARTON / 14 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLE * 1 BOTTLE in 1 CARTON / 21 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLEAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0345-03kit1 KIT in 1 KIT * 30 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLE * 1 BOTTLE in 1 CARTON / 14 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLE * 1 BOTTLE in 1 CARTON / 21 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLEAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.
81968-0453-01kit1 KIT in 1 KIT * 1 BOTTLE in 1 CARTON / 21 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLE * 1 BOTTLE in 1 CARTON / 14 TABLET, MULTILAYER, EXTENDED RELEASE in 1 BOTTLEAxsome Therapeutics, Inc.

Source: the FDA NDC Directory, current listings only. Only packages sold under Auvelity’s own FDA approval (NDA 215430) are listed, never a generic. Some codes belong to companies that repackage Auvelity: it is the same medicine in a different package.

What a Generic Auvelity Means for You

Nothing Changes Until It Is in Pharmacies

Until a generic is actually for sale, keep filling Auvelity as usual. When one arrives, there is nothing you need to sign up for.

Your Pharmacy May Switch You Automatically

Every state lets pharmacists fill a brand-name prescription with an FDA-approved generic rated as equivalent to it, and about 19 states require them to, unless your prescriber writes “dispense as written” or “brand medically necessary” on the prescription. Some states ask the pharmacist to tell you, or to get your OK first. A study of every state’s law has the details.

It Will Probably Look Different

US trademark law does not let a generic look exactly like the brand, so the color, shape or markings usually change. The active ingredient, strength and form are the same. An “authorized generic,” made by or for the brand’s own company, can look identical. The FDA explains.

Your Insurance May Change Too

Once a lower-cost version is available, many insurance plans charge more for the brand, or stop covering it. Your plan’s drug list (formulary) says how.

Until a generic is on US pharmacy shelves, be careful with websites that offer “generic Auvelity”. The FDA warns that unlicensed online pharmacies sell counterfeit and unapproved medicines; its BeSafeRx page shows how to check a pharmacy.

Questions people ask about Auvelity

Is there a generic for Auvelity right now?

No. As of October 9, 2026 no generic bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide is listed for sale in the FDA NDC Directory.

When will Auvelity go generic?

September 2038 is the expected month, and that is very likely but not certain. The brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch. The last listed patent runs to November 2043, but it covers a way of using it and the product’s formulation, not the medicine itself, which a generic can often work around or challenge.

Will generic bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide be the same as Auvelity?

Yes in the ways that matter: the same active ingredient, strength and form, with proof that it reaches your blood the same way. Inactive ingredients can differ, which is why some people notice a different look or taste.

How much will the generic cost?

Nobody can say for sure before launch. One company has applied to the FDA to make it. In the FDA’s study of past launches, pharmacies paid about 31% less once one company sold a generic, which would take the $19.90 pharmacies pay per tablet for Auvelity today to about $13.73. That is a pattern from past launches, not a prediction for this one.

Has the FDA approved a generic Auvelity?

Not yet. The FDA Orange Book lists no approved generic version of Auvelity.

When does the Auvelity patent expire?

The FDA Orange Book lists 148 patents for Auvelity; the last runs to November 2043. A patent date is not the launch date: settlements and court rulings often bring a generic earlier, and FDA approval or a company’s own plans can make it later. The expected month on this page (September 2038) weighs all of that.

Has anyone challenged the Auvelity patents?

Yes. The first patent challenge to Auvelity reached the FDA in December 2022, from one company on that first day. The FDA has not approved a first challenger’s generic yet. A patent challenge (a “Paragraph IV certification”) is a generic company telling the FDA that a patent listed for the brand is invalid or will not be infringed by its version. The first companies to file one can earn a 180-day head start, during which the FDA cannot approve the generics that filed after them.

How much does Auvelity cost now?

Pharmacies paid about $19.90 per tablet for Auvelity ER 45-105 mg tablet in October 2026, by the national survey of what pharmacies pay (NADAC). That is the pharmacy’s cost, not your price: what you pay depends on your insurance or discount card.

Changes to This Projection

  • First generic expected September 2038 on this month’s schedule. A line is added here whenever a monthly update moves the month, the reason or how sure it is.

Every change to the expected month is logged here with the month we saw it.

Also Going Generic

All upcoming generics

About Auvelity

  • Generic name bupropion hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide
  • How it is taken By mouth
  • Company Axsome Therapeutics Inc
  • Patent challenges Since December 2022 (FDA)
  • More drugs Brand-name drugs starting with A
  • Have a question? A pharmacist answers, free. Ask about Auvelity

Sources. The expected month: FDA Paragraph IV Patent Certifications list, federal court records, company announcements and securities filings (settlement dates, launch plans, sales). The record on this page: FDA Orange Book, Drugs@FDA (tentative approvals), FDA NDC Directory, FDA Paragraph IV Patent Certifications list, NADAC (CMS), CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug, Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data, FDA, Generic Competition and Drug Prices (2019). Updated October 9, 2026. Information, not medical advice.