Two medicines, side by side
Methylprednisolone vs prednisolone
Methylprednisolone and prednisolone 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 methylprednisolone since 1957 and of prednisolone since 1955. Pharmacies paid $0.121 per methylprednisolone 4 mg tablet and $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Methylprednisolone's other strengths are brand-only: $6.28 per Solu-medrol 40 mg vial. Prednisolone's other strengths are brand-only: $30.66 per mL (Pred mild 0.12% eye drops).
Check it at the source: the methylprednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 22, 2026); the prednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 25, 2026).
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
Highlights of the prednisolone record
Prednisolone (Pred) · label of June 25, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsPrednisolone Sodium Phosphate Oral Solution is indicated in the following conditions: 1. Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in adult and pediatric populations with: seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis; asthma; contact dermatitis; atopic dermatitis; serum sickness; drug hypersensitivity reactions. 2. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 22, 1955
- Generic labelers
- 25 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $4.72 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 9
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Methylprednisolone label of June 22, 2026, Prednisolone label of June 25, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do methylprednisolone and prednisolone differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class corticosteroids.
Generics: methylprednisolone since 1978; prednisolone since 1971 (Drugs@FDA).
| Methylprednisolone | Prednisolone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoarthritis, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Asthma, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia | Anemia, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Multiple sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Organ transplant rejection |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | Prednisolone is 70-90% protein-bound in the plasma and it is eliminated from the plasma with a half-life of 2 to 4 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 24, 1957 | May 22, 1955 |
| First generic approved | March 28, 1978 | November 24, 1971 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 35 labelers | 25 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.121 per tablet (Methylprednisolone 4 mg tablet) | $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) |
| 12-month price change | -22% | +4% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | In shortage | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 46 | 9 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 170,232 | 191,407 |
| 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 methylprednisolone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions