Two medicines, side by side
Acamprosate vs aflibercept
Acamprosate is labeled for alcohol use disorder; aflibercept for colorectal cancer. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of acamprosate since 2004 and of aflibercept since 2011.
Check it at the source: the acamprosate FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 14, 2026); the aflibercept FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 6, 2026).
Highlights of the acamprosate record
Acamprosate (Campral) · label of July 14, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsAcamprosate calcium is indicated for the maintenance of abstinence from alcohol in patients with alcohol dependence who are abstinent at treatment initiation. Treatment with acamprosate calcium should be part of a comprehensive management program that includes psychosocial support. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 29, 2004
- Generic labelers
- 10 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.589 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Highlights of the aflibercept record
Aflibercept (Eylea) · label of April 6, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsEYLEA HD is indicated for the treatment of: EYLEA HD is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with: Neovascular (Wet) Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) ( 1.1 ) Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) ( 1.2 ) Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) ( 1.3 ) Macular Edema Following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) ( 1.4 ) 1.1 Neovascular (Wet) Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) 1.2 Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) 1.3 Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) 1.4 Macular Edema Following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 18, 2011
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Acamprosate label of July 14, 2026, Aflibercept label of April 6, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do acamprosate and aflibercept differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Acamprosate, “Chronic alcohol exposure is hypothesized to alter the normal balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition.”; Aflibercept, “Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are members of the VEGF family of angiogenic factors that can act as mitogenic, chemotactic, and vascular permeability …”
Generics: acamprosate since 2013; aflibercept none approved (Drugs@FDA).
| Acamprosate | Aflibercept | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Alcohol use disorder | Colorectal cancer |
| Pharmacologic class | n/a | Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | The mechanism of action of acamprosate in maintenance of alcohol abstinence is not completely understood. Chronic alcohol exposure is hypothesized to alter the normal balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition. | Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are members of the VEGF family of angiogenic factors that can act as mitogenic, chemotactic, and vascular permeability factors for endothelial cells. |
| Half-life (label) | Elimination After oral dosing of 2 x 333 mg of acamprosate calcium, the terminal half-life ranges from approximately 20 to 33 hours. | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | July 29, 2004 | November 18, 2011 |
| First generic approved | July 16, 2013 | none |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 10 labelers | none listed |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.589 per tablet (Acamprosate calc DR 333 mg tablet) | n/a |
| 12-month price change | -1% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 1 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 322 | 32,367 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to acamprosate
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions