Omeprazole (Prilosec)

Among various stomach drug available nowadays, Omeprazole (also marketed under the brand name Prilosec) is perhaps the most popular and widely used all around the world. Brand names may differ, they can also appear and disappear, generic names remain in time and do not vary from country to country. The story with Omeprazole is very indicative in this sense.

The medication was initially marketed in the United States under the trade name Losec as early as 1989. But the brand name sounded so much like Lasix (generic Furosemide) that the FDA demanded to change it in order to prevent possible confusion. As a result, Losec became Prilosec. However, the generic name was not affected, and now we may come across a number of different brands that include: Antra, Audazol, Ceprandal, Demeprazol, Dudencer, Emeproton, Gastrimut, Mepral, Ocid, Osiren, Parizac, Prilosec Otc, Ramezol, Sanamidol, Ulceral, Victrix, Zepral, etc, but all of them contain the same Omeprazole as the active substance. Omeprazole lowers the level of acid produced in the stomach. So, all of these brands are used to treat symptoms of conditions caused by excess stomach acid, especially gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Mylan Pharmaceuticals markets the medication under its generic name, Omeprazole. Mylan's Omeprazole is available as green colored capsules indexed "Mylan 5211" and "Mylan 6150" (10mg and 20mg in strenth respectively).