Two medicines, side by side
Metoprolol vs nadolol
Metoprolol and nadolol are both labeled for high blood pressure and angina. Drugs@FDA records approvals of metoprolol since 1978 and of nadolol since 1979. Pharmacies paid $0.085 per metoprolol succ ER 100 mg tablet and $0.147 per nadolol 20 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Metoprolol's other strengths are brand-only: $1.20 per mL (Lopressor 10 mg/mL oral solution).
Check it at the source: the metoprolol FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 3, 2026); the nadolol FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 12, 2026).
Highlights of the metoprolol record
Metoprolol (Lopressor) · label of March 3, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsTOPROL-XL, metoprolol succinate, is a beta-adrenergic blocker indicated for the treatment of: Hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. ( 1.1 ) Angina Pectoris. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 7, 1978
- Generic labelers
- 74 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.085 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 39
Highlights of the nadolol record
Nadolol (Corgard) · label of May 12, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsAngina Pectoris Nadolol tablets are indicated for the long-term management of patients with angina pectoris. Hypertension Nadolol tablets are indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 10, 1979
- Generic labelers
- 16 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.147 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Metoprolol label of March 3, 2026, Nadolol label of May 12, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do metoprolol and nadolol differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class beta-adrenergic blockers.
Half-life, in each label's words: Metoprolol, “Elimination Elimination is mainly by biotransformation in the liver, and the plasma half-life ranges from approximately …”; Nadolol, “The half-life of therapeutic doses of nadolol is about 20 to 24 hours, permitting once-daily dosage.”
Generics: metoprolol since 1993; nadolol since 1993 (Drugs@FDA).
| Metoprolol | Nadolol | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | High blood pressure, Angina, Heart failure, Heart attack and coronary artery disease | Angina, High blood pressure |
| Pharmacologic class | beta-Adrenergic Blocker | beta-Adrenergic Blocker |
| How it works (label) | Metoprolol is a beta 1 -selective (cardioselective) adrenergic receptor blocking agent. | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | Elimination Elimination is mainly by biotransformation in the liver, and the plasma half-life ranges from approximately 3 to 7 hours. | The half-life of therapeutic doses of nadolol is about 20 to 24 hours, permitting once-daily dosage. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | August 7, 1978 | December 10, 1979 |
| First generic approved | December 21, 1993 | October 31, 1993 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 74 labelers | 16 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.085 per tablet (Metoprolol succ ER 100 mg tablet) | $0.147 per tablet (Nadolol 20 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -8% | +23% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 39 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 353,609 | 7,532 |
| 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 metoprolol
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions