Two medicines, side by side
Rasagiline vs selegiline
Rasagiline and selegiline are both labeled for parkinson's disease. Drugs@FDA records approvals of rasagiline since 2006 and of selegiline since 1989. Pharmacies paid $0.521 per rasagiline mesylate 0.5 mg tablet and $0.756 per selegiline HCl 5 mg capsule (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Selegiline's other strengths are brand-only: $75.00 per Emsam 6 mg/24 hours patch. In FDA's classes, rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and selegiline a monoamine oxidase type b inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the rasagiline FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 30, 2020); the selegiline FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 7, 2024).
Highlights of the rasagiline record
Rasagiline (Azilect) · label of June 30, 2020
Used for
From the label: indicationsRasagiline tablets are indicated for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rasagiline, a monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitor (MAOI), is indicated for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 16, 2006
- Generic labelers
- 14 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.521 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 3
Highlights of the selegiline record
Selegiline (Emsam) · label of August 7, 2024
Used for
From the label: indicationsSelegiline capsules, USP are indicated as an adjunct in the management of Parkinsonian patients being treated with levodopa/carbidopa who exhibit deterioration in the quality of their response to this therapy. There is no evidence from controlled studies that selegiline has any beneficial effect in the absence of concurrent levodopa therapy. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- June 5, 1989
- Generic labelers
- 11 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.756 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Rasagiline label of June 30, 2020, Selegiline label of August 7, 2024); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do rasagiline and selegiline differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and selegiline a monoamine oxidase type b inhibitor.
Generics: rasagiline since 2013; selegiline since 1996 (Drugs@FDA).
| Rasagiline | Selegiline | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Parkinson's disease | Parkinson's disease, Depression |
| Pharmacologic class | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor, Monoamine Oxidase Type B Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | Rasagiline is a selective, irreversible MAO-B inhibitor indicated for the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | May 16, 2006 | June 5, 1989 |
| First generic approved | July 1, 2013 | August 2, 1996 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 14 labelers | 11 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.521 per tablet (Rasagiline mesylate 0.5 mg tablet) | $0.756 per capsule (Selegiline HCl 5 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | -46% | +19% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 3 | 1 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 11,067 | 3,527 |
| 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?
Rasagiline label, warnings and precautionsSerotonin syndrome has been reported with concomitant use of an antidepressant (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors-SSRIs, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors-SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, tetracyclic antidepressants, triazolopyridine antidepressants) and a nonselective MAOI (e.g., phenelzine, tranylcypromine) or selective MAO-B inhibitors, such as selegiline (Eldepryl) and rasagiline.
Selegiline label, warnings and precautions… antidepressants) and a non-selective MAOI (e.g., phenelzine, tranylcypromine) or selective MAO-B inhibitors, such as selegiline (ELDEPRYL), rasagiline (AZILECT), and olanzapine (Zydis) selegiline (ZELAPAR).
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to rasagiline
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions