Medicines labeled for the same conditions
Alternatives to penicillamine
9 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as penicillamine or labeled mainly for the same use (rheumatoid arthritis); 2 are in its class, antirheumatic agents: hydroxychloroquine and leflunomide; the others include 3 janus kinase inhibitors, 2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 1 folate analog metabolic inhibitor (FDA labels read October 8, 2026). In the same class, the lowest pharmacy cost is $0.149 per hydroxychloroquine 200 mg tablet (what pharmacies paid in the NADAC survey; strengths differ).
Which medicines are labeled for the same conditions as penicillamine?
Rheumatoid arthritis lists all 46 medicines labeled for it, by any route. Each row shows the conditions both labels name. They are listed as public records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another depends on the person and is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine and FDA class | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Boxed warning | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penicillamineantirheumatic agent | this medicine | 9 labelers | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Hydroxychloroquineantirheumatic agent · same class | Rheumatoid arthritis | 28 labelers | $0.149 per tablet 200 mg tablet | No | A presentation being discontinued |
| Leflunomideantirheumatic agent · same class | Rheumatoid arthritis | 16 labelers | $0.324 per tablet 10 mg tablet | Yes | A presentation being discontinued |
| Indomethacinnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug | Rheumatoid arthritis | 25 labelers | $0.210 per capsule 75 mg capsule | Yes | No current entry |
| Tofacitinibjanus kinase inhibitor | Rheumatoid arthritis | 24 labelers | $0.573 per tablet 5 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Methotrexatefolate analog metabolic inhibitor | Rheumatoid arthritis | 25 labelers | $0.158 per tablet 2.5 mg tablet | Yes | In shortage |
| Baricitinibjanus kinase inhibitor | Rheumatoid arthritis | none listed | $92.54 per tablet 2 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Flurbiprofennonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug | Rheumatoid arthritis | 3 labelers | $3.17 per tablet 100 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Upadacitinibjanus kinase inhibitor | Rheumatoid arthritis | none listed | $229.31 per tablet 15 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Auranofin | Rheumatoid arthritis | none listed | $24.85 per capsule 3 mg capsule | Yes | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications) via openFDA; FDA NDC Directory; CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026; FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for each?
The headline NADAC price per unit of each medicine's most widely listed form; strengths differ, so compare like with like on each record.
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What next?
- Penicillamine: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls