Two medicines, side by side
Desloratadine vs cetirizine
Desloratadine and cetirizine are both labeled for allergies. Drugs@FDA records approvals of desloratadine since 2001 and of cetirizine since 1995. Pharmacies paid $0.258 per desloratadine 5 mg tablet and $0.0613 per cetirizine HCl 10 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Cetirizine's other strengths are brand-only: $7.35 per unit (Zerviate 0.24% eye drop).
Check it at the source: the desloratadine FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 17, 2025); the cetirizine FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 7, 2026).
Highlights of the desloratadine record
Desloratadine (Clarinex) · label of May 17, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsCLARINEX is a histamine-1 (H1) receptor antagonist indicated for: Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: relief of nasal and non-nasal symptoms in patients 2 years of age and older. ( 1.1 ) Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: relief of nasal and non-nasal symptoms in patients 6 months of age and older. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 21, 2001
- Generic labelers
- 9 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.258 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Highlights of the cetirizine record
Cetirizine (All) · label of August 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationstemporarily relieves these symptoms due to hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies: • runny nose, • sneezing, • itchy, watery eyes, • itching of the nose or throat
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 8, 1995
- Generic labelers
- 149 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0613 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 19
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Desloratadine label of May 17, 2025, Cetirizine label of August 7, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do desloratadine and cetirizine differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class histamine-1 receptor antagonists.
Generics: desloratadine since 2010; cetirizine since 2007 (Drugs@FDA).
| Desloratadine | Cetirizine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Allergies | Allergies |
| Pharmacologic class | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist |
| How it works (label) | Desloratadine is a long-acting tricyclic histamine antagonist with selective H 1 -receptor histamine antagonist activity. | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | pproximately 6% of subjects were poor metabolizers of desloratadine (defined as a subject with an AUC ratio of 3-hydroxydesloratadine to desloratadine less than 0.1, or a subject with a desloratadine half-life exceeding … | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 21, 2001 | December 8, 1995 |
| First generic approved | February 19, 2010 | December 27, 2007 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 9 labelers | 149 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.258 per tablet (Desloratadine 5 mg tablet) | $0.0613 per tablet (Cetirizine HCl 10 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -13% | -11% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 1 | 19 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 10,661 | 171,713 |
| 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 desloratadine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions