Actavis Pharmaceuticals & Their Medications

Actavis is one of many pharmaceutical companies in the world that is responsible for producing a number of different medications. This article will go into further detail about this particular company and the medications the manufacture and sell.

Who is Actavis Inc in the United States?

Actavis, Inc. was a global pharmaceutical business that was involved in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of its own brand named pharmaceuticals as well as the manufacture and distribution of generic pharmaceutical products, particularly a number of generic products from a company it had acquired, Watson Pharmaceuticals. The company marketed a number of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Its global headquarters was in Dublin, Ireland, and its headquarters in the United States was in New Jersey.

Who Owns Actavis?

In June 2015, Actavis PLC changed its name to Allergan PLC to continue the operations associated with its brand products but announced that its generic products would continue under the Actavis label. The company is still known as Actavis, Inc. in Europe and Canada. In August 2016, Actavis Generics was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Company. Therefore, Actavis now operates as Allergan PLC under the ownership of Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Legal Issues Facing Actavis

Actavis, Inc. was involved in numerous litigations that included both brand name and generic products.

• One of the glaring legal issues that Actavis, Inc. faced was its decision to discontinue its drug Namenda in favor of marketing the extended-release version Namenda XR (the extended-release version of memantine, the active ingredient in Namenda). Many onlookers viewed this as an attempt by the company to force out companies that had created generic versions of Namenda because these companies would not be able to provide patients with a drug similar to Namenda XR and patients who had been taking Namenda XR would not adapt to generic immediate-release versions of the drug. A pending lawsuit by the Attorney General of the United States at the time, Eric T. Schneiderman, led to Actavis, Inc. eventually abandoning their plans and the potential markup of memantine, which would have been quite significant.
• Actavis, Inc. was included in a large lawsuit by the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois regarding the serious issue of prescription drug misuse in the United States. The lawsuit accused several companies, including Actavis, Inc., of illegally marketing these drugs and increasing the number of people addicted to them.
• Numerous lawsuits have been filed as a result of misuse of testosterone therapy for “Low-T” syndrome, which became a marketing strategy for several pharmaceutical companies that already had medications to treat low testosterone in individuals who had other medical conditions. The Low-T syndrome associated with normal aging is not an actual syndrome in most cases, but a natural aspect of getting older. Individuals using the product Androderm and suffering side effects, such as cardiovascular effects or increased risk of cancer, have been involved in numerous suits against Actavis, Inc. In 2017, Teva Pharmaceuticals requested that it be dropped from the Androderm lawsuit.
• A number of pharmaceutical companies, including Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan, are being considered for a large lawsuit alleging the companies of engaging in illegal price-fixing strategies.

Medicines: What Medications Do Actavis, Inc. Sell?

Actavis, Inc. produced hundreds of different medications. It was also known for being the supplier of a number of generic formulations of medications as well as their own brand of medications. Brand name medications are still marketed by Allergan, and the generic medications have been transferred to Teva Pharmaceuticals. Some of the more notable Actavis products associated with Actavis, Inc. are outlined below:

• Actonel (risedronic acid) is an Actavis medicine used to treat the complications of osteoporosis.
• Androderm patch (testosterone) is a transdermal patch used to treat issues with low testosterone levels as a result of surgery, disease, or some other disorder.
• Several different generic antidepressant medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants, were manufactured by the company.
• Several different generic benzodiazepine medications were manufactured by the company.
• Botox (botulinum toxin) is an extremely neurotoxic amino acid produced by bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum. This substance interferes with the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which can result in paralysis. As a medicine, it has a number of uses, including both cosmetic and medical uses.
• Enablax (darifenacin) and Gelnique (oxybutynin) are used to treat urinary incontinence.
• Latisse (bimatoprost) is used as eye drops to control glaucoma and in the management of the ocular hypertension that often occurs with glaucoma.
• Linzess (linaclotide) is used for treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and chronic idiopathic constipation.
• Namenda and Namenda XR (memantine) is a drug that is used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, especially in the moderate to severe stages. The drug cannot cure Alzheimer’s disease or stop the progression of the disorder, but there is some research that suggests it may slow the progression of the disorder in some individuals.
• Norco (acetaminophen and hydrocodone) was produced by Watson Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Actavis, Inc. They also produced generic forms of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Hydrocodone is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
• Ozurdex (dexamethasone) is used to treat hypertension.
• Generic forms of the opiate drug oxycodone were marketed by Actavis, Inc. These included oxycodone (OxyContin) and a generic form of acetaminophen and oxycodone (Percocet). Oxycodone is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance by the DEA.
• Restasis (ciclosporin) is an immunosuppressive medication that has a number of uses, including treating Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and the rejection of new organs after organ transplant surgery.
• Teflaro (ceftaroline fosamil) is an antibiotic that can be used to treat MRSA infections.
• A generic form of oxymorphone is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance by the DEA and used to control pain.
• Generic forms of hydrocodone/ibuprofen (Vicoprofen) are used to control pain.

Does Actavis Inc. Exist in the United States?

Actavis, Inc. no longer exists in the United States. The brand name component of the company is now renamed Allergan, and the generic component of the company has been sold to Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Actavis, Inc. was involved in the development of a number of medications under its own brand as well as marketing many generic medications. The company was involved in several legal actions that claim it had engaged in unfair marketing practices and unethical price-fixing strategies. In addition, there is evidence that Actavis, Inc. formally tried to eliminate its competition for its medication Namenda. Actavis, Inc. was also the subject of several lawsuits claiming that the company had intentionally marketed generic narcotic pain medications to individuals who did not actually require these drugs. These actions were believed to contribute significantly to the issue with opioid misuse in the United States.

By selling off its generic medication component, Actavis, Inc. has avoided any future litigations or charges with generic narcotic medications produced after the sale; however, as Allergan, Inc., it still faces some potential issues associated with brand name products, particularly with litigation regarding its testosterone replacement medication.

Get Help for Addiction in Lafayette, NJ

If you are struggling with a substance use disorder, know that you are not alone. At our drug rehab in Lafayette, we can help answer all of your questions about rehab payment options, insurance, and anything else you might want more information on. Call us right now at and get connected to one of our rehab admissions navigators right now.

Get started on your road to recovery by having your insurance verified with us via our