Prescription medicine

Mecamylamine Brand names: Vecamyl; first approved as Inversine

Mecamylamine (Inversine) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1956. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 2 generic labelers.

Generic listed

Check it at the source: the mecamylamine FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 20, 2025, TILDE Sciences LLC); the NDA 10251 record on Drugs@FDA; every mecamylamine label on DailyMed.

Highlights of the record

FDA label of February 20, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026

Used for

From the label: indications and usage
For the management of moderately severe to severe essential hypertension and in uncomplicated cases of malignant hypertension.

Forms and strengths

2.5 mg

Tablet.

On the market

Earliest approval on file: March 1, 1956 Inversine, Targacept; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
Generic approvals: 1 first March 19, 2013; 1 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
Labelers listed (NDC): 2 of which 2 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included

Supply and safety

Pharmacy cost (NADAC): Not in the survey
Shortage (FDA): No current entry
Recalls by its makers (FDA): No recall recorded
FAERS reports: 10 through July 30, 2026

What is mecamylamine used for?

From the label: indications and usage
For the management of moderately severe to severe essential hypertension and in uncomplicated cases of malignant hypertension.

Conditions named in the indications of mecamylamine's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:

High blood pressure

From other mecamylamine labels
High blood pressure: INDICATIONS AND USAGE For the management of moderately severe to severe essential hypertension and in uncomplicated cases of malignant hypertension.

FDA pharmacologic class: Autonomic Ganglionic Blocker.

Source: FDA drug label (Vecamyl), ANDA204054 (Lgm Pharma), as published by TILDE Sciences LLC, effective February 20, 2025 (SPL set 0b149023-f7a8-442d-ac69-295df8e66ed3), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

Is there a generic for mecamylamine (Inversine)?

The FDA approved the first generic mecamylamine on March 19, 2013. 1 generic application is approved; 1 of it carries a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.

FDA's NDC Directory lists mecamylamine from 2 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.

1956 earliest approval on file
2013 first generic approved

Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)

What do FAERS reports show for mecamylamine?

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 10 reports that list mecamylamine among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 0 are coded as a death and 5 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.

The most reported reactions

Abdominal Distension2
Constipation (named in the label)2
Dizziness (named in the label)2
Fatigue (named in the label)2
Abdominal Pain1
Abnormal Faeces1
Aggression1
Diarrhoea (named in the label)1

Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026

What else is labeled for the same conditions as mecamylamine?

72 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as mecamylamine or labeled mainly for the same use (high blood pressure), the same class first. High blood pressure lists all 88 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.

Medicine	Shared indication	Generic labelers (oral)	Pharmacy cost	Shortage
Metoprolol	High blood pressure	64 labelers	$0.085 per tablet 100 mg tablet	A presentation being discontinued
Diltiazem	High blood pressure	42 labelers	$0.144 per capsule 24h ER(cd) 120 mg capsule	A presentation being discontinued
Lisinopril	High blood pressure	36 labelers	$0.0254 per tablet 20 mg tablet	No current entry
Propranolol	High blood pressure	38 labelers	$0.0493 per tablet 20 mg tablet	In shortage
Losartan	High blood pressure	44 labelers	$0.0327 per tablet 50 mg tablet	No current entry
Amlodipine	High blood pressure	42 labelers	$0.0102 per tablet 5 mg tablet	No current entry
Clonidine	High blood pressure	37 labelers	$0.0241 per tablet 0.1 mg tablet	No current entry
Valsartan	High blood pressure	34 labelers	$0.0963 per tablet 40 mg tablet	A presentation being discontinued

Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as mecamylamine

Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)

What next?

Alternatives to mecamylamine: 72 medicines for the same use
Mecamylamine side effects: the label's list beside FAERS reports
Check an interaction: what two or more labels say about each other