Two medicines, side by side
Prednisolone vs albuterol
Prednisolone and albuterol are both labeled for asthma. Drugs@FDA records approvals of prednisolone since 1955 and of albuterol since 1981. Pharmacies paid $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) and $0.288 per albuterol sulfate 2 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Prednisolone's other strengths are brand-only: $30.66 per mL (Pred mild 0.12% eye drops). In FDA's classes, prednisolone is a corticosteroid and albuterol a beta2-adrenergic agonist.
Check it at the source: the prednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 25, 2026); the albuterol FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 30, 2026).
Highlights of the prednisolone record
Prednisolone (Pred) · label of June 25, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsPrednisolone Sodium Phosphate Oral Solution is indicated in the following conditions: 1. Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in adult and pediatric populations with: seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis; asthma; contact dermatitis; atopic dermatitis; serum sickness; drug hypersensitivity reactions. 2. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 22, 1955
- Generic labelers
- 25 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $4.72 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 9
Highlights of the albuterol record
Albuterol (Ventolin) · label of April 30, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsAlbuterol Inhalation Solution is indicated for the relief of bronchospasm in patients 2 to 12 years of age with asthma (reversible obstructive airway disease).
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 1, 1981
- Generic labelers
- 40 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.288 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- Resolved
- Recalls
- 20
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Prednisolone label of June 25, 2026, Albuterol label of April 30, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do prednisolone and albuterol differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, prednisolone is a corticosteroid and albuterol a beta2-adrenergic agonist.
Generics: prednisolone since 1971; albuterol since 1989 (Drugs@FDA).
| Prednisolone | Albuterol | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Anemia, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Multiple sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Organ transplant rejection | Asthma |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | beta2-Adrenergic Agonist |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | Prednisolone is 70-90% protein-bound in the plasma and it is eliminated from the plasma with a half-life of 2 to 4 hours. | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | May 22, 1955 | May 1, 1981 |
| First generic approved | November 24, 1971 | January 30, 1989 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 25 labelers | 40 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) | $0.288 per tablet (Albuterol sulfate 2 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | +4% | -38% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | Resolved |
| Recalls recorded | 9 | 20 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 191,407 | 292,136 |
| 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 prednisolone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions