New generics in 2026: dapagliflozin, sitagliptin, rivaroxaban, and how to get the generic price
Several of the most prescribed brand drugs gained generic competition in 2026: dapagliflozin (Farxiga) in April, sitagliptin (Januvia and Janumet) by July, and more strengths of rivaroxaban (Xarelto) through the year. The first months after a generic launches are when cash prices vary most. Here is how to make sure you actually get the generic, and at a fair price.
Updated October 3, 2026
What happened
- April 2026The first generic dapagliflozin tablets launched in the United States from many manufacturers at once.
- May to July 2026Under Merck’s patent settlements, generic sitagliptin could enter from May, and Januvia and Janumet lost US market exclusivity in July, with generic Janumet XR following.
- Through 2026Generic rivaroxaban, first available in the 2.5 mg strength, appeared in FDA listings in the 10, 15 and 20 mg strengths, with some manufacturers marketing them.
Why the first months matter
When a generic first launches, only a few manufacturers may be selling it, and the price pharmacies pay starts high and falls as more makers enter. Pharmacies reset their own cash prices at different speeds: one may still be quoting the brand, another may have the generic at a launch-era price, and a third may already price it close to its new, lower cost. For a long-term medicine taken every day, those differences add up quickly.
Insurance can lag too. Some plans keep the brand on a preferred tier for a while after a generic launches, because of rebate arrangements, so the cheapest route for an insured patient is not always the generic at first.
Making sure you get the generic
A pharmacist can substitute an approved generic unless the prescriber has marked the prescription “dispense as written” or “brand medically necessary”, or the patient asks for the brand. If your prescription was written that way years ago, when only the brand existed, ask the prescriber for a new prescription that allows substitution. For sitagliptin, note that one alternative sitagliptin product is a different salt sold under its own brand name and is not automatically substitutable for the generic of Januvia.
The FDA’s Orange Book lists which generics are approved as therapeutically equivalent, and the pharmacy can tell you which it actually stocks.
What to do
- Check whether a generic now exists for each brand you take.
- Ask your prescriber to allow substitution if your prescription says dispense as written.
- Ask pharmacies whether they are quoting the brand or the generic.
- Compare cash quotes with your plan price for the first months after launch, when both move.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for your prescription
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your your prescription prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Related
Sources
- Drugs.com, generic Farxiga availability
- Drugs.com, generic Januvia availability
- Drugs.com, generic Xarelto availability
- Merck & Co., quarterly report for the period ending June 30, 2026 (SEC)
- FDA Orange Book (approved generics and therapeutic equivalence)
Written by the Script Unlock editorial team from the reporting and official sources above, as of October 3, 2026. Policies and prices in this area change often; check the linked sources for the latest.
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.