Two medicines, side by side
Prednisolone vs prednisone
Prednisolone and prednisone are both labeled for osteoarthritis, asthma, allergies, crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, herpes and shingles, eczema (atopic dermatitis), multiple sclerosis, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, anemia and organ transplant rejection. Drugs@FDA records approvals of prednisolone since 1955 and of prednisone since 1955. Pharmacies paid $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) and $0.0643 per prednisone 20 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).
Check it at the source: the prednisolone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 25, 2026); the prednisone FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 22, 2025).
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 prednisone record
Prednisone (Meticorten) · label of April 22, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsPrednisone tablets and solutions are indicated in the following conditions: 1. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 21, 1955
- Generic labelers
- 45 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0643 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 10
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Prednisolone label of June 25, 2026, Prednisone label of April 22, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do prednisolone and prednisone differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class corticosteroids.
Generics: prednisolone since 1971; prednisone since 1971 (Drugs@FDA).
| Prednisolone | Prednisone | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia, Organ transplant rejection |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| 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 | February 21, 1955 |
| First generic approved | November 24, 1971 | December 23, 1971 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 25 labelers | 45 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $4.72 per mL (Prednisolone ac 1% eye drop) | $0.0643 per tablet (Prednisone 20 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | +4% | -15% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 9 | 10 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 191,407 | 499,950 |
| 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