Actavis has received U.S. approval to sell a generic version of Lamictal, a tablet for treating epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Actavis, based in Parsippany, N.J., said the Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for it to sell lamotrigine tablets in doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 milligrams.
The company, which sells both generic and brand-name medicines, plans to begin selling the product immediately.
Brand-name Lamictal, sold by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, costs $200 to $440 per month, depending on the dosage. The drug had U.S. sales totaling $51 million for the 12 months through May 31.
The Actavis product may be the only generic version of Lamictal on the market for the next six months. If so, other generics then will follow, driving prices down further.