Two medicines, side by side
Clindamycin vs tretinoin
Clindamycin and tretinoin are both labeled for acne. Drugs@FDA records approvals of clindamycin since 1970 and of tretinoin since 1971. Pharmacies paid $0.137 per gram (Clindamycin ph 1% gel) and $0.506 per gram (Tretinoin 0.025% cream) (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, clindamycin is a lincosamide antibacterial and tretinoin a retinoid.
Check it at the source: the clindamycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 10, 2026); the tretinoin FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 17, 2024).
Highlights of the clindamycin record
Clindamycin (Cleocin) · label of March 10, 2026
Clostridioides difficile -associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including clindamycin hydrochloride and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon, leading to overgrowth of C. difficile.
Used for
From the label: indicationsClindamycin is indicated in the treatment of serious infections caused by susceptible anaerobic bacteria. Clindamycin is also indicated in the treatment of serious infections due to susceptible strains of streptococci, pneumococci, and staphylococci. Its use should be reserved for penicillin-allergic patients or other patients for whom, in the judgment of the physician, a penicillin is inappropriate. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 22, 1970
- Generic labelers
- 60 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.137 per gram
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 24
Highlights of the tretinoin record
Tretinoin (Retin-A) · label of May 17, 2024
Used for
From the label: indicationsRETIN-A is indicated for topical application in the treatment of acne vulgaris. The safety and efficacy of the long-term use of this product in the treatment of other disorders have not been established.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 20, 1971
- Generic labelers
- 23 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.506 per gram
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Clindamycin label of March 10, 2026, Tretinoin label of May 17, 2024); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do clindamycin and tretinoin differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, clindamycin is a lincosamide antibacterial and tretinoin a retinoid.
Only the clindamycin label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: clindamycin since 1982; tretinoin since 1998 (Drugs@FDA).
| Clindamycin | Tretinoin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Acne | Acne |
| Pharmacologic class | Lincosamide Antibacterial | Retinoid |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | Excretion The average biological half-life is 2.4 hours. | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | February 22, 1970 | October 20, 1971 |
| First generic approved | February 8, 1982 | June 19, 1998 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 60 labelers | 23 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.137 per gram (Clindamycin ph 1% gel) | $0.506 per gram (Tretinoin 0.025% cream) |
| 12-month price change | -10% | -49% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Shortage now | In shortage | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 24 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 8,968 | 8,069 |
| 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 clindamycin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions