Two medicines, side by side
Pramipexole vs ropinirole
Pramipexole and ropinirole are both labeled for parkinson's disease. Drugs@FDA records approvals of pramipexole since 1997 and of ropinirole since 1997. Pharmacies paid $0.0452 per pramipexole 0.25 mg tablet and $0.046 per ropinirole HCl 0.25 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026). How each works, in its label's words: Pramipexole, “of pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets as a treatment for RLS is unknown.”; Ropinirole, “Ropinirole is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist.”
Check it at the source: the pramipexole FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 31, 2026); the ropinirole FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 16, 2026).
Highlights of the pramipexole record
Pramipexole (Mirapex) · label of March 31, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsPramipexole dihydrochloride is a non-ergot dopamine agonist indicated for the treatment of: Parkinson's disease (PD) ( 1.1 ) Moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) ( 1.2 ) 1.1 Parkinson’s Disease Pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets are indicated for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. 1.2 Restless Legs Syndrome Pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets are indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 1, 1997
- Generic labelers
- 22 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0452 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 16
Highlights of the ropinirole record
Ropinirole (Requip) · label of January 16, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsRopinirole tablets are a non-ergoline dopamine agonist indicated for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 19, 1997
- Generic labelers
- 26 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.046 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 13
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Pramipexole label of March 31, 2026, Ropinirole label of January 16, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do pramipexole and ropinirole differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Pramipexole, “of pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets as a treatment for RLS is unknown.”; Ropinirole, “Ropinirole is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist.”
Both are in FDA's class nonergot dopamine agonists.
Half-life, in each label's words: Pramipexole, “Its terminal half-life is about 8 hours in young healthy volunteers and about 12 hours in elderly volunteers.”; Ropinirole, “Elimination The clearance of ropinirole after oral administration is 47 L/h and its elimination half-life is …”
Generics: pramipexole since 2008; ropinirole since 2008 (Drugs@FDA).
| Pramipexole | Ropinirole | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Parkinson's disease | Parkinson's disease |
| Pharmacologic class | Nonergot Dopamine Agonist | Nonergot Dopamine Agonist |
| How it works (label) | of pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets as a treatment for RLS is unknown. Although the pathophysiology of RLS is largely unknown, neuropharmacological evidence suggests primary dopaminergic system involvement. | Ropinirole is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist. |
| Half-life (label) | Its terminal half-life is about 8 hours in young healthy volunteers and about 12 hours in elderly volunteers. | Elimination The clearance of ropinirole after oral administration is 47 L/h and its elimination half-life is approximately 6 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | July 1, 1997 | September 19, 1997 |
| First generic approved | February 19, 2008 | May 5, 2008 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 22 labelers | 26 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0452 per tablet (Pramipexole 0.25 mg tablet) | $0.046 per tablet (Ropinirole HCl 0.25 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -1% | -3% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 16 | 13 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 19,752 | 18,695 |
| 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)
Do their labels mention each other?
Pramipexole label, warnings and precautionsRetinal Pathology Human Data A two-year open-label, randomized, parallel-group safety study of retinal deterioration and vision compared pramipexole dihydrochloride tablets and immediate-release ropinirole.
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to pramipexole
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions