Prescription medicine
Auranofin Brand names: Ridaura
Auranofin (Ridaura) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1985. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $24.85 per Ridaura 3 mg capsule in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the auranofin FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 8, 2025, Sebela Pharmaceuticals Inc.); the NDA 18689 record on Drugs@FDA; every auranofin label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of November 8, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
RIDAURA ® (auranofin) contains gold and, like other gold-containing drugs, can cause gold toxicity, signs of which include: fall in hemoglobin, leukopenia below 4,000 WBC/cu mm, granulocytes below 1,500/cu mm, decrease in platelets below 150,000/cu mm, proteinuria, hematuria, pruritus, rash, stomatitis or persistent diarrhea. Therefore, the results of recommended laboratory work (See PRECAUTIONS ) should be reviewed before writing each RIDAURA prescription. Like other gold preparations, RIDAURA is only indicated for use in selected patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Physicians planning to use RIDAURA should be experienced with chrysotherapy and should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the toxicity and benefits of RIDAURA. In addition, the following precautions should be routinely employed: The possibility of adverse reactions should be explained to patients before starting therapy. Patients should be advised to report promptly any symptoms suggesting toxicity. (See PRECAUTIONS–Information for Patients .)
Used for
From the label: indications and usageRIDAURA (auranofin) is indicated in the management of adults with active classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis (ARA criteria) who have had an insufficient therapeutic response to, or are intolerant of, an adequate trial of full doses of one or more nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Forms and strengths
- 3 mg
Capsule.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 24, 1985 Ridaura, Legacy; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 2 of which 0 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $24.85 per capsule Ridaura 3 mg capsule
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 205 through July 30, 2026
What is auranofin used for?
From the label: indications and usageRIDAURA (auranofin) is indicated in the management of adults with active classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis (ARA criteria) who have had an insufficient therapeutic response to, or are intolerant of, an adequate trial of full doses of one or more nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. RIDAURA should be added to a comprehensive baseline program, including non-drug therapies. Unlike anti-inflammatory drugs, RIDAURA does not produce an immediate response. Therapeutic effects may be seen after three to four months of treatment, although improvement has not been seen in some patients before six months. […]
Conditions named in the indications of auranofin's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other auranofin labelsRheumatoid arthritis: INDICATIONS AND USAGE RIDAURA (auranofin) is indicated in the management of adults with active classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis (ARA criteria) who have had an insufficient therapeutic response to, or are intolerant of, an …
Source: FDA drug label (RIDAURA), NDA018689 (Legacy), as published by Sebela Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective November 8, 2025 (SPL set 43ba3de1-ab2e-06f6-e054-00144ff8d46c), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for auranofin (Ridaura)?
No generic auranofin is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
- 1985 earliest approval on file
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for auranofin (Ridaura)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $24.85 per Ridaura 3 mg capsule, about the same as a year earlier. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Ridaura 3 mg capsule (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridaura 3 mg capsule | Brand | $24.85 per capsule | $745.36 | no change |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What does the auranofin label say about other medicines?
The auranofin label names 1 other medicine in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Phenytoin | drug interactions | Drug Interactions: In a single patient-report, there is the suggestion that concurrent administration of RIDAURA and phenytoin may have increased phenytoin blood levels. |
Source: FDA drug label (RIDAURA), NDA018689 (Legacy), as published by Sebela Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective November 8, 2025 (SPL set 43ba3de1-ab2e-06f6-e054-00144ff8d46c), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for auranofin?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 205 reports that list auranofin among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 28 are coded as a death and 94 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
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as auranofin?
9 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as auranofin or labeled mainly for the same use (rheumatoid arthritis), the same class first. Rheumatoid arthritis lists all 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indomethacin | Rheumatoid arthritis | 25 labelers | $0.210 per capsule 75 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Hydroxychloroquine | Rheumatoid arthritis | 28 labelers | $0.149 per tablet 200 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Tofacitinib | Rheumatoid arthritis | 24 labelers | $0.573 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Leflunomide | Rheumatoid arthritis | 16 labelers | $0.324 per tablet 10 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Methotrexate | Rheumatoid arthritis | 25 labelers | $0.158 per tablet 2.5 mg tablet | In shortage |
| Penicillamine | Rheumatoid arthritis | 9 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Baricitinib | Rheumatoid arthritis | none listed | $92.54 per tablet 2 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Flurbiprofen | Rheumatoid arthritis | 3 labelers | $3.17 per tablet 100 mg tablet | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to auranofin
- 9 medicines for the same use
- Auranofin side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other