Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a fascinating compound that can be utilized in a vast array of ways. Also referred to as polyoxyethylene (POE) or polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene glycol can ultimately be classified in various ways depending upon its molecular weight.

Polyethylene glycol’s versatility enables it to be used in a multitude of applications, including, but not limited to chemical, industrial, commercial, biological, and medicinal uses.

Produced in 1859, Charles Adolphe Wurtz and A. V. Laurence worked in tandem to independently isolated products that were polyethylene glycols. Their findings revealed that the compound could be generated via an interaction of water with ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol oligomers, or ethylene glycol.

The interaction of water with these three compounds then undergoes a metamorphosis from either basic or acidic catalyst components to result in either anionic or cationic outcomes. Far preferable to a cationic outcome, the anionic form enables the procurement of polyethylene glycol with a relatively modest level of polydispersity, rendering it safe for use.

A mainstay in the pharmaceutical industry, polyethylene glycol is used in an immense range of ways, with laxatives among the chief products created from the compound.

In terms of laxatives, polyethylene glycol 3350 is most simply explained as the generic version of the popular laxative products known as Miralax and Glycolax. The laxative products are essentially forms of polyethylene glycol and are followed by numbers referring to the average molecular weight.

Laxatives such as Miralax are solutions that boost the amount of water in the intestinal tract to stimulate bowel movements. In addition to treating irregular bowel movements, polyethylene glycol 3350-based formulations such as Miralax can treat occasional constipation issues, in addition to an array of other health purposes.

How Generic Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Came to Fruition

Miralax and the generic polyethylene glycol 3350 form all relieve constipation in a range of one to three days. Initially introduced by Braintree Labs in 1999, Miralax was for years available to patients only by prescription.

Numerous studies and conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administration culminated to conclude that polyethylene glycol 3350 a was safe and effective as a generic version of the brand and could be sold without a prescription requirement.

The collective of studies made by assorted figures in the pharmaceutical industry included notable organizations such as the American Journal of Gastroenterology, who in 2013 reported that polyethylene glycol 3350 plus electrolytes was an effective treatment for constipation for adults with a particular type of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation.

In that same year, Schering-Plough Corporation was allowed a licensure agreement from Braintree Laboratories to market non-prescription Miralax as a treatment for occasional constipation, with the Food and Drug Administration ultimately granting Schering-Plough three years of exclusive selling right for the new over-the-counter drug.

How Does Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Work?

Polyethylene Glycol 3350’s mechanism of action involves the retention of water in the stool, this resulting in stools that are softer and ultimately increase the frequency of bowel movements.

Available in popular brand-names such as Miralax and Glycolax, polyethylene glycol 3350 is taking orally to increase the bioavailability of the compound. Miralax, Glycolax, and other brand formulations based on polyethylene glycol 3350 have long been available for consumer purchase at a hefty markup due to the advantageous position of these companies controlling a market absent of a suitable generic version of the medication.

However, in 2006, pharmaceutical industry giant Teva announced their victory in obtaining approval of Polyethylene Glycol 3350 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a generic formulation comparable to its brand-name counterparts.

Teva’s Polyethylene Glycol 3350 formulation is AB-rated as a generic version of Miralax Oral Solution and is an effective, safe, and highly affordable substitute for costly brand-name laxatives including Miralax.

Note: AB-rated generic drugs are drugs that meet the necessary bioequivalence standards established by the Food and Drug Administration. Generic versions of drugs are considered an identical bioequivalent to branded drugs in the event that the same active ingredients are present, as well as no significant discrepancies in terms of quality, formulation, and efficacy between the two.

Other Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Medicinal Uses

  • As part of a whole bowel irrigation process involving electrolytes added to polyethylene glycol to be used for bowel preparation before surgery or colonoscopy
  • As an excipient in numerous pharmaceutical products
  • As part of ongoing research for the fusing of nerve cells in spinal cord injuries
  • As an agent used with protein-based medications to slow the clearance of the carried protein from the blood

Non-Medicinal Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Uses

Polyethylene glycol is used as an essential foundation for countless lubricants and skin creams on the consumer market. Also found in common hygiene products such as antiperspirants and toothpaste, polyethylene glycol has maintained a ubiquitous presence within the product formulations of everyday items.

Interesting Facts About Polyethylene Glycol 3350

  • Militaries across the world are currently experimenting with the integration of polyethylene glycol in body armor
  • There is ongoing research about the efficacy of polyethylene glycol in tattoos
  • American medical laboratories are currently conducting experiments involving the effect of polyethylene glycol to monitor diabetic conditions
  • Polyethylene glycol has recently been used as a component in the manufacturing of a Trident II ballistic missile solid rocket fuel.
  • The numbers following polyethylene glycol formulation refer to its average molecular weight, with 3350, 4000, and 600 being the most common.
  • Total annual sales of generic oral-based polyethylene glycol 3350 are estimated at $153 million.
  • No prescription is needed for polyethylene glycol 3350

Using Polyethylene Glycol 3350

While no prescription is required to purchase polyethylene glycol 3350, caution should be exercised in certain instances, such as the use of the medication in children under seventeen years old. Current guidelines exclude children under the age of seventeen from using Polyethylene Glycol 3350 in a safe and effective manner.

Adults and children over the age of seventeen can use polyethylene glycol 3350 for constipation issues and problematic bowels bu stirring and dissolving a single packet or full scoop of powder (seventeen grams) in anywhere from four to eight ounces of water.

Intended as a once-daily drink, polyethylene glycol 3350 can be used for a maximum of seven consecutive days.

Consuming polyethylene glycol 3350 will not affect the level of electrolytes of glucose in the body; however, there are possibilities of side effects that patients should be cognizant of.

Examples of common side effects include the following:

  • Nausea
  • Cramping
  • Flatulence
  • Diarrhea
  • Negative impacts on patients with preexisting kidney issues (these patients should consult with their healthcare provider prior to using polyethylene glycol 3350)

Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Coupons, Discounts, and Savings

There is a vast array of websites offering a wealth of savings on polyethylene glycol 3350 products.

Available in a range of sizes at a fraction of the cost of Miralax and Glycolax, savings on polyethylene glycol 3350 can be had at discounts of up to 80%.

Singlecare.com is the premier website offering a range of coupons for polyethylene glycol 3350 medications at deeply discounted rates. Peruse their coupon offerings and ample supply of information on pharmaceutical products here.

Conclusion

Every year, patients are able to save an astounding eight to ten billion dollars at retail pharmacy establishments by purchasing the generic versions of brand-name drugs.

With many drugs rated as AB equivalents to their branded counterparts, generic medications are increasingly being used by patients around the globe.

Among the most ubiquitously used generic medications on the market, polyethylene glycol 3350 has since its inception been heralded as a safe, effective, and affordable alternative to the branded laxative formulations that have long held a monopoly in the pharmaceutical industry.

AB-rated to meet all the essential bioequivalence standards established by the FDA, polyethylene glycol 3350 features virtually no perceptible discrepancies in quality or composition and is rapidly becoming the laxative product of choice for savvy consumers.