Prescription medicine
Cefotaxime Brand names: Claforan
Cefotaxime (Claforan) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1981. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 1 generic labeler.
- Generic listed
- In shortage
Check it at the source: the cefotaxime FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 11, 2024, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); the NDA 50547 record on Drugs@FDA; every cefotaxime label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of April 11, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageTreatment Cefotaxime for Injection, USP is indicated for the treatment of patients with serious infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the diseases listed below.
Forms and strengths
- 1 g
- 2 g
- 10 g
- 500 mg
Injection (powder) for solution; injection.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 11, 1981 Claforan, Sterimax; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 14 first January 13, 1987; 0 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 2 of which 1 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- 4 of 6 presentations limited or unavailable updated September 18, 2026
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 4,277 through July 30, 2026
What is cefotaxime used for?
From the label: indications and usageTreatment Cefotaxime for Injection, USP is indicated for the treatment of patients with serious infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the diseases listed below. […]
Conditions named in the indications of cefotaxime's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other cefotaxime labelsBacterial infections: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Treatment Cefotaxime for Injection, USP is indicated for the treatment of patients with serious infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the diseases listed below. …
FDA pharmacologic class: Cephalosporin Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Cefotaxime), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective April 11, 2024 (SPL set ed23b6bc-32c7-4c50-a53d-313ae78e5623), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for cefotaxime (Claforan)?
The FDA approved the first generic cefotaxime on January 13, 1987. 14 generic applications are approved; 0 of them carry 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 cefotaxime from 1 labeler under a generic (ANDA) application and from 1 brand labeler. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1981 earliest approval on file
- 1987 first generic approved
- 2015 to now in shortage
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Is cefotaxime in shortage?
The FDA Drug Shortage Database lists 4 of 6 cefotaxime presentations as limited or unavailable (updated September 18, 2026); the first entry was posted on February 17, 2015. 2 more presentations are on the list as available.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cefotaxime Sodium, Powder, for Solution, 1 g (NDC 0143-9931-25) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Cefotaxime Sodium, Powder, for Solution, 1 g (NDC 21586-011-02) | SteriMax, Inc. | Current | June 15, 2026 |
| Cefotaxime Sodium, Powder, for Solution, 10 g (NDC 0143-9935-01) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Cefotaxime Sodium, Powder, for Solution, 2 g (NDC 0143-9933-25) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Cefotaxime Sodium, Powder, for Solution, 2 g (NDC 21586-012-02) | SteriMax, Inc. | Current | June 15, 2026 |
| Cefotaxime Sodium, Powder, for Solution, 500 mg (NDC 0143-9930-10) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
What does the cefotaxime label say about other medicines?
The cefotaxime label names 3 other medicines 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Epinephrine | warnings | SERIOUS HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS MAY REQUIRE EPINEPHRINE AND OTHER EMERGENCY MEASURES. |
| Furosemide | drug interactions | Drug Interactions As with other cephalosporins, cefotaxime may potentiate the nephrotoxic effects of nephrotoxic drugs such as aminoglycosides, NSAIDs and furosemide. |
| Probenecid | drug interactions | Drug Interactions A single intravenous dose and oral dose of probenecid (500 mg each) followed by two oral doses of probenecid 500 mg at approximately hourly intervals administered to three healthy male subjects receiving a continuous infusion of cefotaxime increased the steady-state plasma concentration of cefotaxime … |
Source: FDA drug label (Cefotaxime), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective April 11, 2024 (SPL set ed23b6bc-32c7-4c50-a53d-313ae78e5623), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for cefotaxime?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 4,277 reports that list cefotaxime among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 847 are coded as a death and 2,431 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.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What next?
- Other cephalosporins
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Cefotaxime side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Cefotaxime shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other