Two medicines, side by side
Prednisolone vs chlorpheniramine
Prednisolone and chlorpheniramine are both labeled for allergies. Drugs@FDA records approvals of prednisolone since 1955 and of chlorpheniramine since 1949. Pharmacies paid $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) and $0.0177 per allergy 4 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 chlorpheniramine a histamine-1 receptor antagonist.
Check it at the source: the prednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 25, 2026); the chlorpheniramine FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 19, 2018).
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 chlorpheniramine record
Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) · label of December 19, 2018
Used for
From the label: indicationstemporarily relieves the following symptoms due to hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies: sneezing runny nose itchy, watery eyes itching of the nose or throat
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 13, 1949
- Generic labelers
- 2 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0177 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Prednisolone label of June 25, 2026, Chlorpheniramine label of December 19, 2018); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do prednisolone and chlorpheniramine differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, prednisolone is a corticosteroid and chlorpheniramine a histamine-1 receptor antagonist.
Generics: prednisolone since 1971; chlorpheniramine since 1972 (Drugs@FDA).
| Prednisolone | Chlorpheniramine | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Allergies |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist |
| 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 | July 13, 1949 |
| First generic approved | November 24, 1971 | May 9, 1972 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 25 labelers | 2 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) | $0.0177 per tablet (Allergy 4 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | +4% | +8% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 9 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 191,407 | 6,553 |
| 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