Ella Generic: When Will Generic Ulipristal Be Available?
This page is aggregated from FDA records, court filings and company announcements. Coded and designed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Updated October 9, 2026 How we build our data
Ella Generic at a Glance
Four quick answers from FDA records and our estimate.
- When is the first generic expected? During 2026 Sometime that year Why then?
- Has the FDA approved a generic? February 2017 1 company approved Why not on sale?
- When does the last patent end? June 2030 8 patents listed with the FDA Why is a generic expected sooner?
- Can you buy a generic today? Not yet No company lists one for sale
Generic ulipristal acetate is expected to be available sometime in 2026. None is for sale yet.
Why 2026?
The brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch. We rate it probable: more likely than not, but it can still move.
If Ella’s last patent runs to June 2030, how can a generic come sooner?
The 8 patents that run past the expected month, to June 2030 (9,844,510, 8,735,380, 9,283,233, 10,159,681 and 4 more), cover the product’s formulation and a way of using it. 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 Ella’s patents with the FDA since August 2014. That is why the expected month comes before the last protection ends. See the road to a generic
If the FDA approved a generic, why can’t I buy one?
FDA approval is permission to sell, not a launch. One company has held an approval since February 2017, but a patent, a settlement or a company’s own plans can hold a generic back until the expected month. See who is lined up
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 $37.10 pharmacies pay per tablet for Ella today to about $25.60. See the price estimate
What should I do now?
Keep taking Ella 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.
Ella 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
- Probable More likely than not, but it can still move.
- Price competition
- Low 1 company has filed, 1 first in line
- Brand sales
- $17M a yearSmaller seller
- FDA approved 2010 August 2010 FDA Orange Book
- Patents listed 8 last runs to June 2030 A generic is expected sooner, sometime in 2026. See why FDA Orange Book
- Generics FDA-approved 1 company, approved February 2017 FDA Orange Book
- Pharmacies pay $37.10 per tablet, down 0.1% in a year NADAC, October 2026
- Medicaid prescriptions 93K in the last four reported quarters, $4.9M CMS Medicaid drug utilization, to Q1 2026
Ella’s Road to a Generic
Ella has had the market to itself since the FDA approved it in August 2010 (Laboratoire Hra Pharma). Its 8 listed patents run to June 2030. Generic companies have challenged its patents with the FDA since August 2014.
The first generic of Ella is expected sometime in 2026.
Why that month: the brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch.
Why a Generic Can Come Before June 2030
The last listed patent runs to June 2030, but it covers the product’s formulation and a way of using it, 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.
Ella Patents and FDA Protections
Every patent and exclusivity the FDA Orange Book lists for Ella’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.
| Patent | What it covers | Protects until | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,844,510 | The product’s formulation | December 2028 | Active |
| 8,735,380 | The product’s formulation | February 2029 | Active |
| 9,283,233 | A way of using it (U-1821) | April 2030 | Active |
| 10,159,681 | A way of using it (U-2510) | April 2030 | Active |
| 10,772,897 | A way of using it (U-2958) | April 2030 | Active |
| 8,512,745 | The product’s formulation | June 2030 | Active |
| 8,426,392 | A way of using it (U-1389) | June 2030 | Active |
| 8,962,603 | A way of using it (U-1657) | June 2030 | Active |
Source: FDA Orange Book, application 022474. Patent numbers open the patent on Google Patents.
Patent Challenges to Ella
The first patent challenge to Ella reached the FDA in August 2014, from one company on that first day. The FDA approved a first challenger’s generic in February 2017, and the list records no sale by a first challenger yet.
What Is a Patent Challenge?
A generic company that wants to sell its version before Ella’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.
| Product | First challenged | Companies that day | 180-day head start | First challenger’s generic | Challenged patents run to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved | On sale | |||||
| Tablets, 30 mg | August 2014 | 1 company | First challenger eligible decided August 2020 | February 2017 | Not yet | June 2030 |
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 Ulipristal Acetate
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.
Applied to the FDA
One company has applied to the FDA to make generic ulipristal acetate.
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 Ella’s patents with the FDA since August 2014: see the patent challenges.
Approved by the FDA
The FDA has approved generic versions from 1 company, the first in February 2017. Approved is not the same as on sale: patents, a settlement or the company’s own plans can still hold a launch.
For Sale in Pharmacies
Not yet. No company lists a generic ulipristal acetate for sale with the FDA.
| Company | First approved | Strengths | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teva Pharmaceuticals USA | February 2017 | 30MG | AB |
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).
Ella Price: What Pharmacies Pay and What Generics Usually Do
What Pharmacies Pay for Ella 30 mg tablet
$37.10 per tablet in October 2026, down 0.1% from a year earlier.
Hover over or tap anywhere on the chart to see that month’s price.
See the numbers
| Month | Pharmacies paid per tablet |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | $37.10 |
| September 2026 | $37.10 |
| August 2026 | $37.10 |
| July 2026 | $37.09 |
| June 2026 | $37.09 |
| May 2026 | $37.09 |
| April 2026 | $37.10 |
| March 2026 | $37.11 |
| February 2026 | $37.11 |
| January 2026 | $37.09 |
| February 2024 | $37.15 |
| January 2024 | $37.15 |
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
How we estimate it. We start from what pharmacies pay for Ella today: $37.10 per tablet for Ella 30 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). Ella 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 $37.10 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 Ella
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.
Medicaid Prescriptions by Quarter
92,962 prescriptions in the four quarters to Q1 2026, $4.9M paid.
See the numbers
| Quarter | Prescriptions | Medicaid paid |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 22,918 | $1,219,043 |
| Q4 2025 | 22,867 | $1,204,620 |
| Q3 2025 | 24,333 | $1,297,133 |
| Q2 2025 | 22,844 | $1,218,099 |
| Q1 2025 | 22,803 | $1,231,271 |
Source: CMS Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data, over Ella’s own package codes.
Ella Strengths and Forms
| Strength | Form | How it is taken | Approved | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30MG | Tablet | Oral | August 2010 | Prescription reference product |
Source: FDA Orange Book, Laboratoire Hra Pharma. Listed for sale today by A-S Medication Solutions, Afaxys Pharma LLC, RPK Pharmaceuticals, Inc., HRA Pharma America, Inc. and 2 more (FDA NDC Directory).
Ella NDC Codes and Packages
Each Ella 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.
| NDC | Product | Package | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53002-2630-01 | 30 mg tablet | blister pack of 1 tablet | RPK Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
| 67296-1466-01 | 30 mg tablet | bottle of 1 tablet | RedPharm Drug, Inc |
| 50090-5422-00 | ULIPRISTAL ACETATE 30 mg/1 tablet | blister pack of 1 tablet | A-S Medication Solutions |
| 50090-5422-00 | ULIPRISTAL ACETATE 30 mg/1 tablet | blister pack of 1 tablet | A-S Medication Solutions |
| 73302-0456-01 | ULIPRISTAL ACETATE 30 mg/1 tablet | blister pack of 1 tablet | PMI Branded Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
| 73302-0456-01 | ULIPRISTAL ACETATE 30 mg/1 tablet | blister pack of 1 tablet | PMI Branded Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Source: the FDA NDC Directory, current listings only. Only packages sold under Ella’s own FDA approval (NDA 22474) are listed, never a generic. Some codes belong to companies that repackage Ella: it is the same medicine in a different package.
What a Generic Ella Means for You
Nothing Changes Until It Is in Pharmacies
Until a generic is actually for sale, keep filling Ella 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 Ella”. 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 Ella
Is there a generic for Ella right now?
No. As of October 9, 2026 no generic ulipristal acetate is listed for sale in the FDA NDC Directory. 1 generic version is FDA-approved (Orange Book), which usually means it is waiting on patents or on the maker’s own launch plans.
When will Ella go generic?
Sometime in 2026 is the expected window, and that is probable 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 June 2030, but it covers the product’s formulation and a way of using it, not the medicine itself, which a generic can often work around or challenge.
Will generic ulipristal acetate be the same as Ella?
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 $37.10 pharmacies pay per tablet for Ella today to about $25.60. That is a pattern from past launches, not a prediction for this one.
Has the FDA approved a generic Ella?
Yes. The FDA Orange Book lists approved generic versions from 1 company, the first approved in February 2017: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA. Approved is not the same as on sale: patents, a settlement or the company’s own plans can still hold a launch.
When does the Ella patent expire?
The FDA Orange Book lists 8 patents for Ella; the last runs to June 2030. 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 window on this page (Sometime in 2026) weighs all of that.
Has anyone challenged the Ella patents?
Yes. The first patent challenge to Ella reached the FDA in August 2014, from one company on that first day. The FDA approved a first challenger’s generic in February 2017, and the list records no sale by a first challenger 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 Ella cost now?
Pharmacies paid about $37.10 per tablet for Ella 30 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 Sometime in 2026 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
- CerdelgaEliglustat TartrateJuly to December 2026
- MekinistTrametinib Dimethyl Sulfoxide2027 to 2028
- Quillivant XRMethylphenidate HydrochlorideFebruary 2031
- ZilrettaTriamcinolone AcetonideAugust 2031
- GivlaariGivosiran SodiumOctober 2034
- TryngolzaOlezarsen SodiumFebruary 2038
About Ella
- Generic name ulipristal acetate
- How it is taken By mouth
- Company Laboratoire Hra Pharma
- Patent challenges Since August 2014 (FDA)
- More drugs Brand-name drugs starting with E
- Have a question? A pharmacist answers, free. Ask about Ella
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), Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data, FDA, Generic Competition and Drug Prices (2019). Updated October 9, 2026. Information, not medical advice.