Two medicines, side by side
Methylprednisolone vs prednisone
Methylprednisolone and prednisone 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 prednisone since 1955. Pharmacies paid $0.121 per methylprednisolone 4 mg tablet and $0.0643 per prednisone 20 mg tablet (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.
Check it at the source: the methylprednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 22, 2026); the prednisone FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 22, 2025).
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 prednisone record
Prednisone (Meticorten) · label of April 22, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsPrednisone tablets and solutions are indicated in the following conditions: 1. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 21, 1955
- Generic labelers
- 45 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0643 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 10
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Methylprednisolone label of June 22, 2026, Prednisone label of April 22, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do methylprednisolone and prednisone differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class corticosteroids.
Generics: methylprednisolone since 1978; prednisone since 1971 (Drugs@FDA).
| Methylprednisolone | Prednisone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoarthritis, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Asthma, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia, Organ transplant rejection |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 24, 1957 | February 21, 1955 |
| First generic approved | March 28, 1978 | December 23, 1971 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 35 labelers | 45 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.121 per tablet (Methylprednisolone 4 mg tablet) | $0.0643 per tablet (Prednisone 20 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -22% | -15% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | In shortage | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 46 | 10 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 170,232 | 499,950 |
| 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