Two medicines, side by side
Hydrochlorothiazide vs hydrochlorothiazide/losartan
Hydrochlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide/losartan are both labeled for high blood pressure. Drugs@FDA records approvals of hydrochlorothiazide since 1959 and of hydrochlorothiazide/losartan since 1995. Pharmacies paid $0.0115 per hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet and $0.0762 per losartan-hydrochlorothiazide 100-12.5 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Hydrochlorothiazide's other strengths are brand-only: $4.46 per mL (Inzirqo 10 mg/mL oral suspension). Only the hydrochlorothiazide/losartan label carries a boxed warning.
Check it at the source: the hydrochlorothiazide FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 12, 2026); the hydrochlorothiazide/losartan FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 26, 2025).
Highlights of the hydrochlorothiazide record
Hydrochlorothiazide (Inzirqo) · label of June 12, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsHydrochlorothiazide tablets USP are indicated as adjunctive therapy in edema associated with congestive heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis, and corticosteroid and estrogen therapy. Hydrochlorothiazide tablets USP have also been found useful in edema due to various forms of renal dysfunction such as nephrotic syndrome, acute glomerulonephritis, and chronic renal failure. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 12, 1959
- Generic labelers
- 43 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0115 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 7
Highlights of the hydrochlorothiazide and losartan record
Hydrochlorothiazide and losartan (Hyzaar) · label of November 26, 2025
FETAL TOXICITY When pregnancy is detected, discontinue HYZAAR as soon as possible. Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. WARNING: FETAL TOXICITY See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue HYZAAR as soon as possible. Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus.
Used for
From the label: indicationsHYZAAR is a combination of losartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic indicated for: Treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. ( 1.1 ) Reduction of the risk of stroke in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 28, 1995
- Generic labelers
- 29 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0762 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 29
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Hydrochlorothiazide label of June 12, 2026, Hydrochlorothiazide/losartan label of November 26, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do hydrochlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide/losartan differ on the record?
Only the hydrochlorothiazide/losartan label carries a boxed warning.
Both are in FDA's class thiazide diuretics.
Half-life, in each label's words: Hydrochlorothiazide, “When plasma levels have been followed for at least 24 hours, the plasma half-life has been observed to vary between 5.6 …”; Hydrochlorothiazide/losartan, “The terminal half-life of losartan is about 2 hours and of the metabolite is about 6-9 hours.”
Generics: hydrochlorothiazide since 1973; hydrochlorothiazide/losartan since 2010 (Drugs@FDA).
| Hydrochlorothiazide | Hydrochlorothiazide/losartan | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Heart failure, High blood pressure, Edema (fluid retention) | High blood pressure, Stroke prevention |
| Pharmacologic class | Thiazide Diuretic | Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blocker, Thiazide Diuretic |
| How it works (label) | n/a | Losartan Potassium Angiotensin II [formed from angiotensin I in a reaction catalyzed by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE, kininase II)], is a potent vasoconstrictor, the primary vasoactive hormone of the renin-angiotensin system and an … |
| Half-life (label) | When plasma levels have been followed for at least 24 hours, the plasma half-life has been observed to vary between 5.6 and 14.8 hours. | The terminal half-life of losartan is about 2 hours and of the metabolite is about 6-9 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | February 12, 1959 | April 28, 1995 |
| First generic approved | January 12, 1973 | April 6, 2010 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 43 labelers | 29 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0115 per tablet (Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet) | $0.0762 per tablet (Losartan-hydrochlorothiazide 100-12.5 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -7% | -20% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 7 | 29 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 144,413 | 11,546 |
| 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 hydrochlorothiazide
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions