Two medicines, side by side
Levofloxacin vs moxifloxacin
Levofloxacin and moxifloxacin are both labeled for bacterial infections. Drugs@FDA records approvals of levofloxacin since 1996 and of moxifloxacin since 1999. Pharmacies paid $0.259 per levofloxacin 750 mg tablet and $1.60 per mL (Moxifloxacin 0.5% eye drops) (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. How each works, in its label's words: Levofloxacin, “Levofloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].”; Moxifloxacin, “Moxifloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].”
Check it at the source: the levofloxacin FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 10, 2024); the moxifloxacin FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 17, 2026).
Highlights of the levofloxacin record
Levofloxacin (Levaquin) · label of July 10, 2024
SERIOUS ADVERSE REACTIONS INCLUDING TENDINITIS, TENDON RUPTURE, PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS AND EXACERBATION OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
Used for
From the label: indicationsLevofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibacterial indicated in adults (18 years of age and older) with infections caused by designated, susceptible bacteria and in pediatric patients where indicated ( 1 , 12.4 ). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 20, 1996
- Generic labelers
- 44 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.259 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 13
Highlights of the moxifloxacin record
Moxifloxacin (Avelox) · label of March 17, 2026
SERIOUS ADVERSE REACTIONS INCLUDING TENDINITIS, TENDON RUPTURE, PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS andEXACERBATION OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS Fluoroquinolones, including moxifloxacin tablets, have been associated with disabling and potentially irreversible serious adverse reactions that have occurred together [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )], including: Tendinitis and tendon rupture [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Peripheral neuropathy [see Warnings and Precautions (
Used for
From the label: indicationsMoxifloxacin tablets are a fluoroquinolone antibacterial indicated for treating infections in adults 18 years of age and older caused by designated susceptible bacteria, in the conditions listed below: Community Acquired Pneumonia ( 1.1 ) Skin and Skin Structure Infections: Uncomplicated ( 1.2 ) and Complicated ( 1.3 ) Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections ( 1.4 ) Plague ( 1.5 ) Acute Bacterial Sinusitis ( 1.6 ) […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 10, 1999
- Generic labelers
- 32 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $1.60 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 10
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Levofloxacin label of July 10, 2024, Moxifloxacin label of March 17, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do levofloxacin and moxifloxacin differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Levofloxacin, “Levofloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].”; Moxifloxacin, “Moxifloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].”
Both are in FDA's class fluoroquinolone antibacterials.
Half-life, in each label's words: Levofloxacin, “The mean terminal plasma elimination half-life of levofloxacin ranges from approximately 6 to 8 hours following single …”; Moxifloxacin, “The mean (± SD) elimination half-life from plasma is 12 ± 1.3 hours; steady-state is achieved after at least three days …”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: levofloxacin since 2010; moxifloxacin since 2014 (Drugs@FDA).
| Levofloxacin | Moxifloxacin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Urinary tract infections | Bacterial infections |
| Pharmacologic class | Fluoroquinolone Antibacterial | Fluoroquinolone Antibacterial, Quinolone Antimicrobial |
| How it works (label) | Levofloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )]. | Moxifloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )]. |
| Half-life (label) | The mean terminal plasma elimination half-life of levofloxacin ranges from approximately 6 to 8 hours following single or multiple doses of levofloxacin given orally or intravenously. | The mean (± SD) elimination half-life from plasma is 12 ± 1.3 hours; steady-state is achieved after at least three days with a 400 mg once daily regimen. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 20, 1996 | December 10, 1999 |
| First generic approved | December 20, 2010 | February 18, 2014 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 44 labelers | 32 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.259 per tablet (Levofloxacin 750 mg tablet) | $1.60 per mL (Moxifloxacin 0.5% eye drops) |
| 12-month price change | -11% | -14% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
| Recalls recorded | 13 | 10 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 59,954 | 20,168 |
| 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 levofloxacin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions