Lastacaft Generic: When Will Generic Alcaftadine 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
Lastacaft Generic at a Glance
Four quick answers from FDA records and our estimate.
- When is the first generic expected? 2026 to 2027 A wide window Why then?
- Has the FDA approved a generic? June 2023 2 companies approved
- When does the last patent end? December 2027 2 patents listed with the FDA
- Can you buy a generic today? Yes 3 companies list one
It already is. A generic alcaftadine is listed for sale by 3 companies, so ask your pharmacy whether it can fill your prescription with one.
Why 2026 to 2027?
The brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch. We rate it likely: firm enough to plan around, but a court ruling or a new deal could still move it.
What should I do now?
Ask your pharmacy whether it can fill your prescription with a generic. It may look different from Lastacaft, but the active ingredient, strength and form are the same. What a generic means for you
Our month is only an estimate based on available information, so we never name a day.
Lastacaft 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
- Likely Firm enough to plan around, but a court ruling or a new deal could still move it.
- Price competition
- Strong 5 companies have filed, 1 first in line
- Brand sales
- under $10M a yearSmall seller
- FDA approved 2010 July 2010 FDA Orange Book
- Patents listed 2 last runs to December 2027 FDA Orange Book
- Generics FDA-approved 2 companies, the first approved June 2023 FDA Orange Book
- Pharmacies pay $2.83 per mL, up 0.5% in a year NADAC, October 2026
- Medicaid prescriptions 1,854 in the last four reported quarters, $42.6K CMS Medicaid drug utilization, to Q1 2026
Lastacaft’s Road to a Generic
Lastacaft has had the market to itself since the FDA approved it in July 2010 (Abbvie Inc). Its 2 listed patents run to December 2027. Generic companies have challenged its patents with the FDA since July 2014.
The first generic of Lastacaft is expected between 2026 and 2027.
Why that month: the brand company and a generic maker settled their patent fight and agreed on when a generic can launch.
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.
Lastacaft Patents and FDA Protections
Every patent and exclusivity the FDA Orange Book lists for Lastacaft’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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,617,695 | The product’s formulation; a way of using it (U-3267) | March 2027 | Active |
| 8,664,215 | A way of using it (U-3267) | December 2027 | Active |
Source: FDA Orange Book, application 022134. Patent numbers open the patent on Google Patents.
Patent Challenges to Lastacaft
The first patent challenge to Lastacaft reached the FDA in July 2014, 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 Lastacaft’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 | |||||
| Ophthalmic solution, 0.0025 | July 2014 | 1 company | Head start no longer applies decided August 2019 | Not yet | Not yet | October 2029 |
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 Alcaftadine
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
5 companies have applied to the FDA to make generic alcaftadine.
The FDA keeps the other applications private until it acts on them, so those companies are not named here.
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 Lastacaft’s patents with the FDA since July 2014: see the patent challenges.
Approved by the FDA
The FDA has approved generic versions from 2 companies, the first in June 2023. 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
Yes. A generic alcaftadine is listed for sale by 3 companies. Ask your pharmacy whether it can fill your prescription with it.
Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc., Aurohealth LLC and Gland Pharma Limited
| Company | First approved | Strengths | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gland Pharma Ltd | March 2024 | 0.25% | – |
| Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd | October 2024 | 0.25% | – |
| Eugia Pharma Specialities Ltd discontinued | June 2023 | 0.25% | – |
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).
Lastacaft Price: What Pharmacies Pay and What Generics Usually Do
What Pharmacies Pay for Lastacaft once daily 0.25% drp
$2.83 per mL in October 2026, up 0.5% 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 mL |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | $2.83 |
| September 2026 | $2.83 |
| August 2026 | $2.83 |
| July 2026 | $2.83 |
| June 2026 | $2.83 |
| May 2026 | $2.83 |
| April 2026 | $2.84 |
| March 2026 | $2.84 |
| February 2026 | $2.83 |
| January 2026 | $2.83 |
| February 2024 | $2.82 |
| January 2024 | $2.82 |
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 Lastacaft today: $2.83 per mL for Lastacaft once daily 0.25% drp 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). Lastacaft has 5 companies lined up, so our estimate uses the figure for four companies. More companies would bring the price lower; fewer, less of a drop.
Dollar figures apply FDA’s median drops to the $2.83 pharmacies pay per mL 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 Lastacaft
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
1,854 prescriptions in the four quarters to Q1 2026, $42.6K paid.
See the numbers
| Quarter | Prescriptions | Medicaid paid |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 506 | $11,877 |
| Q4 2025 | 487 | $11,325 |
| Q3 2025 | 655 | $15,599 |
| Q2 2025 | 206 | $3,803 |
| Q1 2025 | 193 | $3,755 |
Source: CMS Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data, over Lastacaft’s own package codes.
Lastacaft Strengths and Forms
| Strength | Form | How it is taken | Approved | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25% | Solution/drops | Ophthalmic | July 2010 | Over the counter reference product |
Source: FDA Orange Book, Abbvie Inc. Listed for sale today by Allergan, Inc. (FDA NDC Directory).
Lastacaft NDC Codes and Packages
Each Lastacaft 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00023-4290-01 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 1 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4290-01 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 1 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-01 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 1 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-01 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 1 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-05 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-05 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-06 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-06 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | bottle of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
Show the other 4 Lastacaft packages
| NDC | Product | Package | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00023-4291-07 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | carton of 2 bottles of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-07 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | carton of 2 bottles of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-10 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | carton of 2 bottles of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
| 00023-4291-10 | ALCAFTADINE 2.5 mg/mL solution/ drops | carton of 2 bottles of 5 mL | Allergan, Inc. |
Source: the FDA NDC Directory, current listings only. Only packages sold under Lastacaft’s own FDA approval (NDA 22134) are listed, never a generic. Some codes belong to companies that repackage Lastacaft: it is the same medicine in a different package.
What a Generic Lastacaft Means for You
Nothing Changes Until It Is in Pharmacies
A generic is listed for sale now, so your pharmacy may already be able to fill your prescription with it.
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.
Questions people ask about Lastacaft
Is there a generic for Lastacaft right now?
Yes. The FDA NDC Directory lists a generic alcaftadine from 3 companies. Ask your pharmacy whether it can fill your prescription with it.
When will Lastacaft go generic?
It already has. The FDA NDC Directory lists a generic alcaftadine from 3 companies, so ask your pharmacy whether it can fill your prescription with one.
Will generic alcaftadine be the same as Lastacaft?
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. 5 companies have applied to the FDA to make it. In the FDA’s study of past launches, pharmacies paid about 73% less once four companies sold a generic, which would take the $2.83 pharmacies pay per mL for Lastacaft today to about $0.76. That is a pattern from past launches, not a prediction for this one.
Has the FDA approved a generic Lastacaft?
Yes. The FDA Orange Book lists approved generic versions from 2 companies, the first approved in June 2023: Gland Pharma Ltd and Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 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 Lastacaft patent expire?
The FDA Orange Book lists 2 patents for Lastacaft; the last runs to December 2027. 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 (2026 to 2027) weighs all of that.
Has anyone challenged the Lastacaft patents?
Yes. The first patent challenge to Lastacaft reached the FDA in July 2014, 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 Lastacaft cost now?
Pharmacies paid about $2.83 per mL for Lastacaft once daily 0.25% drp 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 2026 to 2027 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
- VentavisIloprostJuly to December 2026
- IncivekTelaprevirMay 2028
- DefitelioDefibrotide SodiumJune 2032
- NexteroneAmiodarone HydrochlorideFebruary 2033
- AgamreeVamoroloneApril 2034
- RyaltrisMometasone Furoate and Olopatadine HydrochlorideNovember 2044
About Lastacaft
- Generic name alcaftadine
- How it is taken In the eye
- Company Abbvie Inc
- Patent challenges Since July 2014 (FDA)
- More drugs Brand-name drugs starting with L
- Have a question? A pharmacist answers, free. Ask about Lastacaft
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.