Two medicines, side by side
Clindamycin vs vancomycin
Clindamycin and vancomycin are both labeled for bacterial infections. Drugs@FDA records approvals of clindamycin since 1970 and of vancomycin since 1986. Pharmacies paid $0.137 per gram (Clindamycin ph 1% gel) and $1.33 per vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule (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 vancomycin a glycopeptide antibacterial.
Check it at the source: the clindamycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 10, 2026); the vancomycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 7, 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 vancomycin record
Vancomycin (Vancocin Hydrochloride) · label of June 7, 2024
Used for
From the label: indicationsVancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection is a glycopeptide antibacterial indicated in adult and pediatric patients (neonates and older) for the treatment of: • Septicemia ( 1.1 ) • Infective Endocarditis ( 1.2 ) • Skin and Skin Structure Infections ( 1.3 ) • Bone Infections ( 1.4 ) • Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ( 1.5 ) To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 15, 1986
- Generic labelers
- 31 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $1.33 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 49
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Clindamycin label of March 10, 2026, Vancomycin label of June 7, 2024); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do clindamycin and vancomycin differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, clindamycin is a lincosamide antibacterial and vancomycin a glycopeptide antibacterial.
Half-life, in each label's words: Clindamycin, “Excretion The average biological half-life is 2.4 hours.”; Vancomycin, “The mean elimination half-life of vancomycin from plasma is 4 to 6 hours in subjects with normal renal function.”
Only the clindamycin label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: clindamycin since 1982; vancomycin since 1964 (Drugs@FDA).
| Clindamycin | Vancomycin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Acne | Bacterial infections, Diarrhea |
| Pharmacologic class | Lincosamide Antibacterial | Glycopeptide Antibacterial |
| How it works (label) | n/a | Vancomycin is an antibacterial drug [see Microbiology (12.4) ]. |
| Half-life (label) | Excretion The average biological half-life is 2.4 hours. | The mean elimination half-life of vancomycin from plasma is 4 to 6 hours in subjects with normal renal function. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | February 22, 1970 | April 15, 1986 |
| First generic approved | February 8, 1982 | November 6, 1964 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 60 labelers | 31 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.137 per gram (Clindamycin ph 1% gel) | $1.33 per capsule (Vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | -10% | +4% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Shortage now | In shortage | A presentation being discontinued |
| Recalls recorded | 24 | 49 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 8,968 | 65,529 |
| 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