Medicines labeled for the same conditions
Alternatives to prednisolone
13 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as prednisolone or labeled mainly for the same use (anemia); 6 are in its class, corticosteroids: prednisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone and 2 more; the others include 2 hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors, 2 parenteral iron replacements and 1 thalidomide analog (FDA labels read October 8, 2026). In the same class, the lowest pharmacy cost is $0.0643 per prednisone 20 mg tablet (what pharmacies paid in the NADAC survey; strengths differ).
Which medicines are labeled for the same conditions as prednisolone?
Anemia lists all 25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prednisolonecorticosteroid | this medicine | 23 labelers | $4.72 per mL 1% eye drop | No | No current entry |
| Prednisonecorticosteroid · same class | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Multiple sclerosis, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia, Organ transplant rejection | 46 labelers | $0.0643 per tablet 20 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Dexamethasonecorticosteroid · same class | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia | 41 labelers | $0.193 per tablet 4 mg tablet | No | In shortage |
| Hydrocortisonecorticosteroid · same class | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma | 16 labelers | $0.180 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No | A presentation being discontinued |
| Methylprednisolonecorticosteroid · same class | Osteoarthritis, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Multiple sclerosis, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia | 24 labelers | $0.121 per tablet 4 mg tablet | No | In shortage |
| Budesonidecorticosteroid · same class | Asthma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis | 14 labelers | $0.498 per capsule 3 mg capsule | No | No current entry |
| Cortisonecorticosteroid · same class | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma | 1 labeler | n/a | No | No current entry |
| Lenalidomidethalidomide analog | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia | 18 labelers | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Eltrombopagthrombopoietin receptor agonist | Anemia | 13 labelers | $25.85 per tablet 50 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Daprodustathypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor | Anemia | none listed | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Mitapivatpyruvate kinase activator | Anemia | none listed | n/a | No | No current entry |
| Vadadustathypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor | Anemia | none listed | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Tetraferric tricitrate decahydrateparenteral iron replacement | Anemia | none listed | $6.28 per tablet 210 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Ferric citrateparenteral iron replacement | Anemia | 1 labeler | n/a | No | 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?
- Prednisolone: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
- Prednisolone vs prednisone
- two records side by side
- Prednisolone vs dexamethasone
- two records side by side
- Hydrocortisone vs prednisolone
- two records side by side
- Methylprednisolone vs prednisolone
- two records side by side