Two medicines, side by side
Tadalafil vs tamsulosin
Tadalafil and tamsulosin are both labeled for enlarged prostate (bph). Drugs@FDA records approvals of tadalafil since 2003 and of tamsulosin since 1997. Pharmacies paid $0.167 per tadalafil 20 mg tablet and $0.05 per tamsulosin HCl 0.4 mg capsule (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor and tamsulosin an alpha-adrenergic blocker.
Check it at the source: the tadalafil FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 3, 2026); the tamsulosin FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 1, 2025).
Highlights of the tadalafil record
Tadalafil (Cialis) · label of June 3, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsCIALIS ® is a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: erectile dysfunction (ED) ( 1.1 ) the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) ( 1.2 ) ED and the signs and symptoms of BPH (ED/BPH) ( 1.3 ) If CIALIS is used with finasteride to initiate BPH treatment, such use is recommended for up to 26 weeks ( 1.4 ). 1.1 Erectile Dysfunction CIALIS ® is indicated for the treatment […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 21, 2003
- Generic labelers
- 49 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.167 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 12
Highlights of the tamsulosin record
Tamsulosin (Flomax) · label of December 1, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsTamsulosin hydrochloride capsules are indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) [see Clinical Studies (14) ]. Tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules are not indicated for the treatment of hypertension. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 15, 1997
- Generic labelers
- 38 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.05 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 3
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Tadalafil label of June 3, 2026, Tamsulosin label of December 1, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do tadalafil and tamsulosin differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor and tamsulosin an alpha-adrenergic blocker.
How each works, in its label's words: Tadalafil, “Penile erection during sexual stimulation is caused by increased penile blood flow resulting from the relaxation of penile arteries and corpus cavernosal smooth muscle.”; Tamsulosin, “The symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are related to bladder outlet obstruction, which is comprised of two underlying components: static and dynamic.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Tadalafil, “Excretion – The mean oral clearance for tadalafil is 2.5 L/hr and the mean terminal half-life is 17.5 hours in healthy …”; Tamsulosin, “Following intravenous or oral administration of an immediate-release formulation, the elimination half-life of …”
Generics: tadalafil since 2018; tamsulosin since 2010 (Drugs@FDA).
| Tadalafil | Tamsulosin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Erectile dysfunction, Enlarged prostate (BPH), Pulmonary arterial hypertension | Enlarged prostate (BPH) |
| Pharmacologic class | Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor | alpha-Adrenergic Blocker |
| How it works (label) | Penile erection during sexual stimulation is caused by increased penile blood flow resulting from the relaxation of penile arteries and corpus cavernosal smooth muscle. | The symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are related to bladder outlet obstruction, which is comprised of two underlying components: static and dynamic. |
| Half-life (label) | Excretion – The mean oral clearance for tadalafil is 2.5 L/hr and the mean terminal half-life is 17.5 hours in healthy subjects. | Following intravenous or oral administration of an immediate-release formulation, the elimination half-life of tamsulosin hydrochloride in plasma ranged from 5 to 7 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | November 21, 2003 | April 15, 1997 |
| First generic approved | May 22, 2018 | March 2, 2010 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 49 labelers | 38 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.167 per tablet (Tadalafil 20 mg tablet) | $0.05 per capsule (Tamsulosin HCl 0.4 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | -19% | -2% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 12 | 3 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 99,551 | 20,287 |
| 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?
Tadalafil label, drug interactionsClinical pharmacology studies have been conducted with coadministration of tadalafil with doxazosin, tamsulosin or alfuzosin. [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.7 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 ), and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )].
Tadalafil label, drug interactionsClinical pharmacology studies have been conducted with coadministration of tadalafil with doxazosin, alfuzosin or tamsulosin [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )]. Antihypertensives PDE5 inhibitors, including ADCIRCA, are mild systemic vasodilators.
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to tadalafil
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions