All generic medications must undergo certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then looks at these tests to decide if the generic versions are equivalent to the brand-name medications and assigns a rating to each one. An "AB" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. All of the generic Zovirax versions currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they are considered equivalent to brand-name Zovirax.
However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients from the brand-name medication. This might include fillers, dyes, or other ingredients, which may cause problems for people with certain allergies or sensitivities.