Two medicines, side by side
Lincomycin vs ceftriaxone
Lincomycin and ceftriaxone are both labeled for bacterial infections. Drugs@FDA records approvals of lincomycin since 1964 and of ceftriaxone since 1984. Only the lincomycin label carries a boxed warning.
Check it at the source: the lincomycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 10, 2025); the ceftriaxone FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 4, 2026).
Highlights of the lincomycin record
Lincomycin (Lincocin) · label of March 10, 2025
Clostridioides difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including LINCOCIN and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon leading to overgrowth of C. difficile.
Used for
From the label: indicationsLINCOCIN is indicated in the treatment of serious infections due to susceptible strains of streptococci, pneumococci, and staphylococci. Its use should be reserved for penicillin-allergic patients or other patients for whom, in the judgment of the physician, a penicillin is inappropriate. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 29, 1964
- Generic labelers
- 8 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the ceftriaxone record
Ceftriaxone (Rocephin) · label of February 4, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsBefore instituting treatment with Ceftriaxone for injection, USP, appropriate specimens should be obtained for isolation of the causative organism and for determination of its susceptibility to the drug. Therapy may be instituted prior to obtaining results of susceptibility testing. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 21, 1984
- Generic labelers
- 16 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $1.44 per vial
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 20
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Lincomycin label of March 10, 2025, Ceftriaxone label of February 4, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do lincomycin and ceftriaxone differ on the record?
Only the lincomycin label carries a boxed warning.
How each works, in its label's words: Lincomycin, “Mechanism of Action Lincomycin inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 23S RNA of the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome.”; Ceftriaxone, “Microbiology: Mechanism of Action Ceftriaxone is a bactericidal agent that acts by inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Lincomycin, “The biological half-life after intramuscular or intravenous administration is 5.4 ± 1.0 hours.”; Ceftriaxone, “Based on middle ear fluid ceftriaxone concentrations in the 23 to 25 hour and the 46 to 50 hour sampling time …”
Generics: lincomycin since 1991; ceftriaxone since 1987 (Drugs@FDA).
| Lincomycin | Ceftriaxone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections | Urinary tract infections, Bacterial infections |
| Pharmacologic class | n/a | Cephalosporin Antibacterial |
| How it works (label) | Mechanism of Action Lincomycin inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 23S RNA of the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome. Lincomycin is predominantly bacteriostatic in vitro. | Microbiology: Mechanism of Action Ceftriaxone is a bactericidal agent that acts by inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis. |
| Half-life (label) | The biological half-life after intramuscular or intravenous administration is 5.4 ± 1.0 hours. | Based on middle ear fluid ceftriaxone concentrations in the 23 to 25 hour and the 46 to 50 hour sampling time intervals, a half-life of 25 hours was calculated. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 29, 1964 | December 21, 1984 |
| First generic approved | April 16, 1991 | April 30, 1987 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 8 labelers | 16 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | n/a | $1.44 per vial (Ceftriaxone 1 g vial) |
| 12-month price change | n/a | -4% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 20 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 293 | 38,242 |
| 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 lincomycin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions