Two medicines, side by side
Famotidine vs rabeprazole
Famotidine and rabeprazole are both labeled for acid reflux and ulcers. Drugs@FDA records approvals of famotidine since 1986 and of rabeprazole since 1999. Pharmacies paid $0.0289 per famotidine 20 mg tablet and $0.224 per rabeprazole sod DR 20 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026). In FDA's classes, famotidine is a histamine-2 receptor antagonist and rabeprazole a proton pump inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the famotidine FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 6, 2026); the rabeprazole FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 27, 2026).
Highlights of the famotidine record
Famotidine (Pepcid) · label of February 6, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsrelieves heartburn associated with acid indigestion and sour stomach prevents heartburn associated with acid indigestion and sour stomach brought on by eating or drinking certain food and beverages
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 15, 1986
- Generic labelers
- 145 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0289 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 14
Highlights of the rabeprazole record
Rabeprazole (Aciphex) · label of January 27, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsACIPHEX delayed-release tablets is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) indicated in adults for: Healing of Erosive or Ulcerative Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) ( 1.1 ). Maintenance of Healing of Erosive or Ulcerative GERD ( 1.2 ). Treatment of Symptomatic GERD ( 1.3 ). Healing of Duodenal Ulcers ( 1.4 ). Helicobacter pylori Eradication to Reduce Risk of Duodenal Ulcer Recurrence ( 1.5 ). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 19, 1999
- Generic labelers
- 20 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.224 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Famotidine label of February 6, 2026, Rabeprazole label of January 27, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do famotidine and rabeprazole differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, famotidine is a histamine-2 receptor antagonist and rabeprazole a proton pump inhibitor.
Generics: famotidine since 2001; rabeprazole since 2013 (Drugs@FDA).
| Famotidine | Rabeprazole | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Acid reflux and ulcers | Acid reflux and ulcers |
| Pharmacologic class | Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonist | Proton Pump Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | n/a | Rabeprazole belongs to a class of antisecretory compounds (substituted benzimidazole proton-pump inhibitors) that do not exhibit anticholinergic or histamine H 2 -receptor antagonist properties, but suppress gastric acid secretion by … |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | This relatively prolonged pharmacodynamic action compared to the short pharmacokinetic half-life (1 to 2 hours) reflects the sustained inactivation of the H + , K + ATPase. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 15, 1986 | August 19, 1999 |
| First generic approved | April 16, 2001 | November 8, 2013 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 145 labelers | 20 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0289 per tablet (Famotidine 20 mg tablet) | $0.224 per tablet (Rabeprazole sod DR 20 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -2% | -0.4% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 14 | 1 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 118,838 | 38,147 |
| 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 famotidine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions