Two medicines, side by side
Oxymorphone vs hydrocodone
Oxymorphone and hydrocodone are both labeled for pain. Drugs@FDA records approvals of oxymorphone since 1959 and of hydrocodone since 2013. How each works, in its label's words: Oxymorphone, “Oxymorphone is a full opioid agonist and is relatively selective for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can bind to other opioid receptors at higher doses.”; Hydrocodone, “Hydrocodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses.”
Check it at the source: the oxymorphone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 29, 2026); the hydrocodone FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 29, 2026).
Highlights of the oxymorphone record
Oxymorphone (Opana) · label of June 29, 2026
SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS FROM USE OF OXYMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLETS WARNING: SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS FROM USE OF OXYMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLETS Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Because the use of oxymorphone hydrochloride tablets exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death, assess each patient’s risk prior to prescribing and reassess all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].
Used for
From the label: indicationsOxymorphone hydrochloride tablets is indicated for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 2, 1959
- Generic labelers
- 9 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the hydrocodone record
Hydrocodone (Hysingla) · label of May 29, 2026
SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS FROM USE OF HYSINGLA ER Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Because the use of HYSINGLA ER exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death, assess each patient's risk prior to prescribing and reassess all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Used for
From the label: indicationsHYSINGLA ER is indicated for the management of severe and persistent pain that requires an opioid analgesic and that cannot be adequately treated with alternative options, including immediate-release opioids. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 25, 2013
- Generic labelers
- 1 labeler
- Pharmacy cost
- $7.95 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Oxymorphone label of June 29, 2026, Hydrocodone label of May 29, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do oxymorphone and hydrocodone differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Oxymorphone, “Oxymorphone is a full opioid agonist and is relatively selective for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can bind to other opioid receptors at higher doses.”; Hydrocodone, “Hydrocodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses.”
Both are in FDA's class opioid agonists.
Half-life, in each label's words: Oxymorphone, “Elimination Oxymorphone hydrochloride tablets half-life ranges from approximately 9-11 hours after a single oral dose …”; Hydrocodone, “The mean terminal half-life (t 1/2 ) was similar for all HYSINGLA ER dose strengths ranging from 7 to 9 hours.”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: oxymorphone since 2010; hydrocodone since 2020 (Drugs@FDA).
| Oxymorphone | Hydrocodone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Pain | Pain |
| Pharmacologic class | Opioid Agonist | Opioid Agonist |
| How it works (label) | Oxymorphone is a full opioid agonist and is relatively selective for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can bind to other opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of oxymorphone is analgesia. | Hydrocodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of hydrocodone is analgesia. |
| Half-life (label) | Elimination Oxymorphone hydrochloride tablets half-life ranges from approximately 9-11 hours after a single oral dose (5-40 mg). | The mean terminal half-life (t 1/2 ) was similar for all HYSINGLA ER dose strengths ranging from 7 to 9 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | April 2, 1959 | October 25, 2013 |
| First generic approved | June 14, 2010 | January 21, 2020 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 9 labelers | 1 labeler |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | n/a | $7.95 per capsule (Hydrocodone ER 15 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | n/a | +34% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 11,596 | 43,191 |
| DEA schedule | CII | CII |
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 do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Oxymorphone label, warnings and precautionsRisks from Concomitant Use with Benzodiazepines and Other CNS Depressants Patients must not consume alcoholic beverages or prescription or non-prescription products containing alcohol while on oxymorphone hydrochloride tablets therapy.
Hydrocodone label, warnings and precautionsUse with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death may result from the concomitant use of HYSINGLA ER with benzodiazepines and/or other CNS depressants, including alcohol (e.g., non-benzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids [gabapentin or pregabalin], and other …
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to oxymorphone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions