Two medicines, side by side
Prednisolone vs methotrexate
Prednisolone and methotrexate are both labeled for leukemia and lymphoma and myeloma. Drugs@FDA records approvals of prednisolone since 1955 and of methotrexate since 1953. Pharmacies paid $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) and $0.158 per methotrexate 2.5 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). Methotrexate's other strengths are brand-only: $21.76 per mL (Xatmep 2.5 mg/mL oral solution). In FDA's classes, prednisolone is a corticosteroid and methotrexate a folate analog metabolic inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the prednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 25, 2026); the methotrexate FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 27, 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 methotrexate record
Methotrexate (Rasuvo) · label of May 27, 2026
EMBRYO-FETAL TOXICITY, HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS, SEVERE ADVERSE REACTIONS, and RISK OF MEDICATION ERRORS Methotrexate Tablets can cause embryo-fetal toxicity, including fetal death. For non-neoplastic diseases, Methotrexate Tablets is contraindicated in pregnancy. For neoplastic diseases, advise females and males of reproductive potential to use effective contraception [see Contraindications (4), Warnings and Precautions (5.1), Use in Specific Populations (8.1 , 8.3) ].
Used for
From the label: indicationsMethotrexate tablets is a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor indicated for the: Treatment of adults and pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) as part of a combination chemotherapy maintenance regimen ( 1.1 ) Treatment of adults with mycosis fungoides ( 1.1 ) Treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma as part of a metronomic combination regimen ( 1.1 ) Treatment of adults […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 7, 1953
- Generic labelers
- 29 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.158 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 8
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Prednisolone label of June 25, 2026, Methotrexate label of May 27, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do prednisolone and methotrexate differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, prednisolone is a corticosteroid and methotrexate a folate analog metabolic inhibitor.
Half-life, in each label's words: Prednisolone, “Prednisolone is 70-90% protein-bound in the plasma and it is eliminated from the plasma with a half-life of 2 to 4 …”; Methotrexate, “Elimination The elimination half-life of methotrexate is approximately 3 to 10 hours.”
Only the methotrexate label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: prednisolone since 1971; methotrexate since 1979 (Drugs@FDA).
| Prednisolone | Methotrexate | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Breast cancer |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Folate Analog Metabolic Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | n/a | Methotrexate inhibits dihydrofolic acid reductase. Dihydrofolates must be reduced to tetrahydrofolates by this enzyme before they can be utilized as carriers of one-carbon groups in the synthesis of purine nucleotides and thymidylate. |
| 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. | Elimination The elimination half-life of methotrexate is approximately 3 to 10 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | May 22, 1955 | December 7, 1953 |
| First generic approved | November 24, 1971 | September 5, 1979 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 25 labelers | 29 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) | $0.158 per tablet (Methotrexate 2.5 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | +4% | -4% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | In shortage |
| Recalls recorded | 9 | 8 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 191,407 | 489,791 |
| 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 do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Methotrexate label, drug interactionsOral antibiotics (including neomycin) Antifolate drugs (e.g., dapsone, pemetrexed, pyrimethamine and sulfonamides) Oral or intravenous penicillin or sulfonamide antibiotics Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Highly protein-bound drugs (e.g., oral anticoagulants, phenytoin, salicylates, sulfonamides, sulfonylureas, and tetracyclines) Hepatotoxic products Proton pump inhibitors Weak acids (e.g. …
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to prednisolone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions