Is there a generic for Trintellix?

In this article:

• Is there a generic for Trintellix?
• Trintellix generic availability
• Brand-name vs. generic drugs
• How much does Trintellix cost?
• What are the off-label uses for Trintellix?
• Is Trintellix covered by insurance?
• How do you get Trintellix covered by insurance?
• Generic alternatives to Trintellix
• Long-term use of Trintellix

In this article

• Is there a generic for Trintellix?
• Trintellix generic availability
• Brand-name vs. generic drugs
• How much does Trintellix cost?
• What are the off-label uses for Trintellix?
• Is Trintellix covered by insurance?
• How do you get Trintellix covered by insurance?
• Generic alternatives to Trintellix
• Long-term use of Trintellix

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Trintellix (vortioxetine) to treat major depressive disorder, or depression, in 2013. The drug’s manufacturer (Takeda Pharmaceuticals) originally marketed it as Brintellix, but changed the name to Trintellix in 2016. Trintellix can be expensive without insurance or discounts, but a generic version could make the drug more affordable. 

Is there a generic for Trintellix?

There is currently no generic version of Trintellix on the market, but the FDA has issued several tentative approvals. A tentative approval means that the FDA has determined a generic drug product is ready for approval, but the brand-name drug’s patents are still active. Trintellix’s patent expires in June 2026, and generic versions may become available some time after that.

“When a patent expires, this allows generic manufacturers to create the generic drug by using an abbreviated approval process,” says Tiffany Khieu, Pharm.D., an assistant professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University. However, it likely won’t be right after the expiration date. A study on generic drugs in Canada showed that the average time to bring a generic to market after patent expiration is around 1.5 years. That might differ slightly in the US, but even when the Trintellix patent ends in 2026, its generic probably won’t debut until 2027 or later. 

What are the differences between generic and brand-name Trintellix?

According to the FDA, about 9 out of every 10 prescriptions filled in the U.S. are for generic drugs. What makes them so popular? 

The big draw for generics is that they’re often less expensive. A large chunk of any drug’s cost comes from the research and testing required to prove that it works and is safe for consumers. Generic drugs require much less testing, since their reference product already proved its safety and efficacy, so they typically cost 80–85% less than their brand-name counterparts. 

Everything else is pretty much identical. The FDA requires that generic drugs have the exact same active ingredient, strength, dosage form (tablet, liquid, etc.), and route of administration (oral, topical, injectable, etc.) as the brand-name medication. So when a generic version of Trintellix comes out, it will work exactly the same way as Trintellix. “Besides increasing serotonin levels (as all SSRIs do), Trintellix also acts directly on serotonin receptors, like the 5HT1A/B, which may improve cognition,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “It also blocks 5HT3 serotonin receptors, which may help with nausea and also add benefits to mood.”

Studies like this one from 2019, which assessed medications for blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and psychiatric conditions, show that generic medicines can deliver very similar outcomes to brand-name drugs. “If differences do exist, it is seen in the excipients, also known as the non-active ingredients,” Dr. Khieu says, which include things like dyes, fillers, or coatings. 

So an eventual generic for Trintellix will be expected to produce the same mood-boosting effects as its brand-name reference. 

How much does Trintellix cost?

If you are paying without insurance or discounts, a typical prescription for brand-name Trintellix would cost about $6,703 for 30, 20-mg tablets. You can use a SingleCare coupon for Trintellix to pay $491 for this same prescription.

What are the off-label uses for Trintellix?

While Trintellix is only officially approved to treat depression, sometimes a healthcare provider might prescribe it for other psychiatric medical conditions. “As an antidepressant, Trintellix has anxiolytic effects due to inhibition of the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) and modulation of various serotonin receptor subtypes,” Dr. Khieu says. So some doctors prescribe it off-label for anxiety as well.

In fact, a 2018 meta-analysis concluded that vortioxetine is a viable treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, and a topic review from 2020 reported that it could be a useful treatment for OCD as well. However, it might not always be the best option for these cases. “Generally speaking, vortioxetine is less beneficial for anxiety, and as good an antidepressant as the traditional ones, like Lexapro and Prozac, with possibly fewer side effects,” Dr. Dimitriu says. 

Is Trintellix covered by insurance?

According to the manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, 85% of patients with commercial insurance have coverage for brand-name Trintellix. However, out-of-pocket costs will vary. Medicare and Medicaid coverage of Trintellix will vary. You can visit the Trintellix website to find out more about coverage and costs and explore savings options. You can also contact your specific insurance plan directly or check the most recent formulary to find out more about your coverage and out-of-pocket costs for Trintellix. If your insurance does not cover Trintellix, you can read more about paying for Trintellix without insurance here.

How do you get Trintellix covered by insurance?

Your healthcare provider can send a Trintellix prescription to your preferred pharmacy. From there, the pharmacy staff will process the information electronically and can tell you right away if the medicine is covered. In some cases, your plan may require prior authorization. This means that your healthcare provider will have to submit additional information as to why this medicine is medically necessary before your plan will determine if they will cover the prescription. If you would like to check your coverage first, you can call your insurance plan or check the formulary online.  

Generic alternatives to Trintellix

Maybe Trintellix doesn’t fit with your budget. Maybe it’s causing some unwanted side effects. Or maybe it’s simply not working as well as you’d hoped. Every person responds differently, and for some, another medication might be more helpful. Fortunately, there are several alternatives for people with depression. These include:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline)
• Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as Cymbalta (duloxetine) 
• Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline
• Atypical antidepressants, such as bupropion 

Many of these drugs have generic options that come much cheaper than Trintellix and other brand-name antidepressants. You can discuss options with your healthcare provider, and they can give you medical advice on which antidepressant may be a better option for you, as well as the best way to stop taking Trintellix and start the new medicine. 

“For anyone looking to switch off this medication, it should be done under medical supervision, and it should be done gradually, slowly lowering the dose of the vortioxetine while adding in the new agent to replace it,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “I always advise my patients to keep good notes on how they felt on a medication before we start lowering it, so they can compare it to the outcome once the change is made.”

People who stop taking it abruptly can experience withdrawal, also known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Withdrawal symptoms can include nausea, dizziness, unusual dreams, tremors, trouble sleeping, paresthesia (“pins and needles” on the skin), fatigue, constipation, headaches, weight gain or loss, sexual dysfunction, and mood swings. Research suggests that around 20% of people who go cold turkey with their antidepressants experience this condition. 

A healthcare provider can come up with a plan to slowly ease you off Trintellix, or offer medical advice on other medications that might fit your needs. It’s crucial to follow the physician’s dosage directions and only take antidepressants that have been prescribed to you. 

Long-term use of Trintellix 

Depression isn’t like a virus. In other words, it doesn’t last a few days and then go away. So treatment for depression is usually long-term, and that may include Trintellix. In its clinical trials, patients who took it for 48 weeks had a lower risk of depressive episodes than those who took Trintellix for only 16 weeks and then took a placebo (inactive treatment) for 32 weeks. A 52-week study published in 2023 found that patients taking vortioxetine showed continued improvements over the entire year. 

Common side effects of Trintellix may include nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, abnormal dreams, and sexual dysfunction. In rare cases, it can cause serious side effects like serotonin syndrome (elevated levels of serotonin), suicidal thoughts, bleeding problems, allergic reactions, and worsened manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. However, per Dr. Dimitriu, “vortioxetine may have slightly less weight gain, and possibly fewer sexual side effects than other SSRIs.”

Not everyone experiences adverse effects, so Trintellix, and eventually generic vortioxetine, are a safe and reliable maintenance treatment for many people with major depressive disorder. 

Expert takeaway

Trintellix is not yet available in generic form, but if your insurance does not provide adequate coverage or if you are paying without insurance, there are other options. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best option for you.