Generic Name of Armour Thyroid
Armour Thyroid is not a brand name with a generic equivalent—it IS the product name for desiccated thyroid extract (thyroid tablets, USP), which is a natural preparation derived from porcine (pig) thyroid glands 1.
Understanding the Terminology
The confusion here stems from pharmaceutical nomenclature. Unlike synthetic medications where "Armour Thyroid" might be a brand name with a generic alternative, desiccated thyroid extract itself is the substance, and Armour Thyroid is simply one manufacturer's formulation of this animal-derived product 1.
What Armour Thyroid Contains
- Active ingredient: Desiccated thyroid (thyroid tablets, USP) from porcine thyroid glands
- Hormone content per grain: 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) and 9 mcg liothyronine (T3)
- T4:T3 ratio: Approximately 4:1 by weight 2, 1
Other Desiccated Thyroid Products
If you're looking for alternatives to Armour Thyroid, other manufacturers produce similar desiccated thyroid products:
- Nature-Throid
- NP Thyroid
- ERFA Thyroid 3
These are all formulations of the same basic substance (desiccated thyroid extract), not "generics" in the traditional pharmaceutical sense.
Important Clinical Context
The synthetic equivalent would be levothyroxine (T4) alone or combination therapy with levothyroxine plus liothyronine (T3), not another desiccated thyroid product. The 2012 AACE/ATA guidelines explicitly state there are no controlled trials supporting the preferred use of desiccated thyroid hormone over synthetic levothyroxine 2.
Key Distinction
- Desiccated thyroid products (like Armour Thyroid): Natural animal-derived preparations with variable T4:T3 ratios
- Synthetic alternatives: Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levothroid) or combination T4+T3 therapy
The term "generic" doesn't apply in the conventional sense because desiccated thyroid extract remains outside formal FDA oversight for consistency, with manufacturers self-monitoring T4 and T3 content 4.