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Generic Name for PROVENGE
PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T) is a medication prescribed to treat prostate cancer that is resistant to hormone therapy. It works by using the body's own immune system to fight the cancer cells.
PROVENGE is considered a "biologic" medication, so it has different rules and regulations than most other prescription medications. Because it is a biologic medication, generic versions of PROVENGE cannot be made by other manufacturers.
Sipuleucel-T is the generic name for PROVENGE. However, this does not mean it is the generic version of the medicine. In order for there to be a generic version of a medicine, the original medicine must have gone off-patent, and another company besides the original manufacturer must make the product.
(For more details on this topic, click Generic PROVENGE. This article also explains whether a generic version of this drug might be available in the future.)

Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD