Two medicines, side by side
Omeprazole vs pantoprazole
Omeprazole and pantoprazole are both labeled for acid reflux and ulcers. Drugs@FDA records approvals of omeprazole since 1989 and of pantoprazole since 2000. Pharmacies paid $0.0295 per omeprazole DR 20 mg capsule and $0.0358 per pantoprazole sod DR 40 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Omeprazole's other strengths are brand-only: $14.75 per pen (Prilosec DR 2.5 mg suspension). How each works, in its label's words: Omeprazole, “Omeprazole belongs to a class of antisecretory compounds, the substituted benzimidazoles, that suppress gastric acid secretion by specific inhibition of the H + /K + ATPase enzyme system at the …”; Pantoprazole, “Pantoprazole is a PPI that suppresses the final step in gastric acid production by covalently binding to the (H + , K + )-ATPase enzyme system at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell.”
Check it at the source: the omeprazole FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 22, 2024); the pantoprazole FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 18, 2026).
Highlights of the omeprazole record
Omeprazole (Prilosec) · label of April 22, 2024
Used for
From the label: indicationsOmeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) indicated for the: Treatment of active duodenal ulcer in adults ( 1.1 ) Eradication of Helicobacter pylori to reduce the risk of duodenal ulcer recurrence in adults ( 1.2 ) Treatment of active benign gastric ulcer in adults ( 1.3 ) Treatment of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients 1 year of age and older ( 1.4 ) Treatment of erosive esophagitis […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 14, 1989
- Generic labelers
- 118 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0295 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 7
Highlights of the pantoprazole record
Pantoprazole (Protonix) · label of May 18, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsPROTONIX For Delayed-Release Oral Suspension and PROTONIX Delayed-Release Tablets are indicated for: PROTONIX is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) indicated for the following: • Short-Term Treatment of Erosive Esophagitis Associated with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) ( 1.1 ) • Maintenance of Healing of Erosive Esophagitis ( 1.2 ) • Pathological Hypersecretory Conditions Including Zollinger-Ellison (ZE) Syndrome […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 2, 2000
- Generic labelers
- 66 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0358 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 25
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Omeprazole label of April 22, 2024, Pantoprazole label of May 18, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do omeprazole and pantoprazole differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Omeprazole, “Omeprazole belongs to a class of antisecretory compounds, the substituted benzimidazoles, that suppress gastric acid secretion by specific inhibition of the H + /K + ATPase enzyme system at the …”; Pantoprazole, “Pantoprazole is a PPI that suppresses the final step in gastric acid production by covalently binding to the (H + , K + )-ATPase enzyme system at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell.”
Both are in FDA's class proton pump inhibitors.
Half-life, in each label's words: Omeprazole, “disease classified as Child-Pugh Class A (n=3), B (n=4) and C (n=1), the bioavailability increased to approximately …”; Pantoprazole, “Although these subpopulations of pantoprazole poor metabolizers have elimination half-life values of 3.5 to 10 hours in …”
Generics: omeprazole since 2002; pantoprazole since 2007 (Drugs@FDA).
| Omeprazole | Pantoprazole | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Acid reflux and ulcers | Acid reflux and ulcers |
| Pharmacologic class | Proton Pump Inhibitor | Proton Pump Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | Omeprazole belongs to a class of antisecretory compounds, the substituted benzimidazoles, that suppress gastric acid secretion by specific inhibition of the H + /K + ATPase enzyme system at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal … | Pantoprazole is a PPI that suppresses the final step in gastric acid production by covalently binding to the (H + , K + )-ATPase enzyme system at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell. |
| Half-life (label) | disease classified as Child-Pugh Class A (n=3), B (n=4) and C (n=1), the bioavailability increased to approximately 100% compared to healthy subjects, reflecting decreased first-pass effect, and the plasma half-life of … | Although these subpopulations of pantoprazole poor metabolizers have elimination half-life values of 3.5 to 10 hours in adults, they still have minimal accumulation (23% or less) with once-daily dosing. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 14, 1989 | February 2, 2000 |
| First generic approved | November 1, 2002 | August 2, 2007 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 118 labelers | 66 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0295 per capsule (Omeprazole DR 20 mg capsule) | $0.0358 per tablet (Pantoprazole sod DR 40 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -7% | -4% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 7 | 25 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 446,179 | 330,183 |
| 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 omeprazole
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions