Two medicines, side by side
Dexamethasone vs methylprednisolone
Dexamethasone and methylprednisolone are both labeled for osteoarthritis, asthma, allergies, crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, herpes and shingles, eczema (atopic dermatitis), multiple sclerosis, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma and anemia. Drugs@FDA records approvals of dexamethasone since 1958 and of methylprednisolone since 1957. Pharmacies paid $0.193 per dexamethasone 4 mg tablet and $0.121 per methylprednisolone 4 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026). Methylprednisolone's other strengths are brand-only: $6.28 per Solu-medrol 40 mg vial.
Check it at the source: the dexamethasone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 6, 2025); the methylprednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 22, 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 methylprednisolone record
Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) · label of June 22, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsMethylprednisolone tablets are indicated in the following conditions: 1. Endocrine Disorders Primary or secondary adrenocortical insufficiency (hydrocortisone or cortisone is the first choice; synthetic analogs may be used in conjunction with mineralocorticoids where applicable; in infancy, mineralocorticoid supplementation is of particular importance). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 24, 1957
- Generic labelers
- 35 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.121 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 46
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Dexamethasone label of June 6, 2025, Methylprednisolone label of June 22, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do dexamethasone and methylprednisolone differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class corticosteroids.
Generics: dexamethasone since 1971; methylprednisolone since 1978 (Drugs@FDA).
| Dexamethasone | Methylprednisolone | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Osteoarthritis, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Asthma, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 30, 1958 | October 24, 1957 |
| First generic approved | October 20, 1971 | March 28, 1978 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 60 labelers | 35 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.193 per tablet (Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet) | $0.121 per tablet (Methylprednisolone 4 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -26% | -22% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | In shortage | In shortage |
| Recalls recorded | 8 | 46 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 304,163 | 170,232 |
| 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