Two medicines, side by side
Dexamethasone vs albuterol
Dexamethasone and albuterol are both labeled for asthma. Drugs@FDA records approvals of dexamethasone since 1958 and of albuterol since 1981. Pharmacies paid $0.193 per dexamethasone 4 mg tablet and $0.288 per albuterol sulfate 2 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, dexamethasone is a corticosteroid and albuterol a beta2-adrenergic agonist.
Check it at the source: the dexamethasone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 6, 2025); the albuterol FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 30, 2026).
Highlights of the dexamethasone record
Dexamethasone (Decadron) · label of June 6, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsAllergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions, perennial or seasonal allergic rhinitis, and serum sickness. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 30, 1958
- Generic labelers
- 60 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.193 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 8
Highlights of the albuterol record
Albuterol (Ventolin) · label of April 30, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsAlbuterol Inhalation Solution is indicated for the relief of bronchospasm in patients 2 to 12 years of age with asthma (reversible obstructive airway disease).
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 1, 1981
- Generic labelers
- 40 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.288 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- Resolved
- Recalls
- 20
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Dexamethasone label of June 6, 2025, Albuterol label of April 30, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do dexamethasone and albuterol differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, dexamethasone is a corticosteroid and albuterol a beta2-adrenergic agonist.
Generics: dexamethasone since 1971; albuterol since 1989 (Drugs@FDA).
| Dexamethasone | Albuterol | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Asthma, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Herpes and shingles, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Allergies, Anemia, Pain | Asthma |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | beta2-Adrenergic Agonist |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 30, 1958 | May 1, 1981 |
| First generic approved | October 20, 1971 | January 30, 1989 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 60 labelers | 40 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.193 per tablet (Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet) | $0.288 per tablet (Albuterol sulfate 2 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -26% | -38% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | In shortage | Resolved |
| Recalls recorded | 8 | 20 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 304,163 | 292,136 |
| 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 dexamethasone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions