Prescription medicine
Cefpodoxime First approved as Vantin
Cefpodoxime (Vantin) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1992. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 11 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $1.04 per cefpodoxime 100 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the cefpodoxime FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 30, 2026, Sandoz Inc); the NDA 50675 record on Drugs@FDA; every cefpodoxime label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of July 30, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageCefpodoxime proxetil is indicated for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the conditions listed below.
Forms and strengths
- 100 mg
- 200 mg
- 50 mg/5ml
- 100 mg/5ml
Film-coated tablet; granule for suspension.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 7, 1992 Vantin, Pfizer; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 8 first May 31, 2002; 5 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 11 of which 11 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $1.04 per tablet Cefpodoxime 100 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 1 since 2014 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest May 22, 2014
- FAERS reports
- 976 through July 30, 2026
What is cefpodoxime used for?
From the label: indications and usageCefpodoxime proxetil is indicated for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the conditions listed below. Recommended dosages, durations of therapy, and applicable patient populations vary among these infections. Please see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION for specific recommendations. Acute otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (excluding penicillin-resistant strains), Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae (including beta-lactamase-producing strains), or Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis (including beta-lactamase-producing strains). […]
Conditions named in the indications of cefpodoxime's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other cefpodoxime labelsBacterial infections: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Cefpodoxime proxetil is indicated for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the conditions listed below.
FDA pharmacologic class: Cephalosporin Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Cefpodoxime Proxetil), Sandoz Inc, effective July 30, 2026 (SPL set 8519a9d8-7106-4545-bc58-859ee9a6708e), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for cefpodoxime (Vantin)?
The FDA approved the first generic cefpodoxime on May 31, 2002. 8 generic applications are approved; 5 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 cefpodoxime from 11 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.
- 1992 earliest approval on file
- 2002 first generic approved
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for cefpodoxime (Vantin)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $1.04 per Cefpodoxime 100 mg tablet, down 14% from $1.22 on October 8, 2025. 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.
- Cefpodoxime 100 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cefpodoxime 100 mg tablet | Generic | $1.04 per tablet | $31.30 | -14% |
| Cefpodoxime 100 mg/5 mL suspension | Generic | $1.01 per mL | n/a | +5% |
| Cefpodoxime 200 mg tablet | Generic | $1.37 per tablet | $41.17 | -19% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has cefpodoxime been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 1 recall naming cefpodoxime since 2014: 0 Class I (the most serious), 1 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2014 | Class II | Sandoz, Inc | Presence of Foreign Substance: Presence of stainless steel particles. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the cefpodoxime label say about other medicines?
The cefpodoxime 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 ACUTE HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS MAY REQUIRE TREATMENT WITH EPINEPHRINE AND OTHER EMERGENCY MEASURES, INCLUDING OXYGEN, INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS, INTRAVENOUS ANTIHISTAMINE, AND AIRWAY MANAGEMENT, AS CLINICALLY INDICATED. |
| Probenecid | drug interactions | Probenecid As with other beta-lactam antibiotics, renal excretion of cefpodoxime was inhibited by probenecid and resulted in an approximately 31% increase in AUC and 20% increase in peak cefpodoxime plasma levels. |
| Sodium bicarbonate | drug interactions | Drug Interactions Antacids Concomitant administration of high doses of antacids (sodium bicarbonate and aluminum hydroxide) or H 2 blockers reduces peak plasma levels by 24% to 42% and the extent of absorption by 27% to 32%, respectively. |
Source: FDA drug label (Cefpodoxime Proxetil), Sandoz Inc, effective July 30, 2026 (SPL set 8519a9d8-7106-4545-bc58-859ee9a6708e), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for cefpodoxime?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 976 reports that list cefpodoxime among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 107 are coded as a death and 551 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 else is labeled for the same conditions as cefpodoxime?
23 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as cefpodoxime or labeled mainly for the same use (bacterial infections), the same class first. Bacterial infections lists all 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cephalexin | Bacterial infections | 36 labelers | $0.120 per capsule 500 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Cefdinir | Bacterial infections | 26 labelers | $0.458 per capsule 300 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Cefuroxime | Bacterial infections | 17 labelers | $0.280 per tablet 250 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Cefadroxil | Bacterial infections | 19 labelers | $0.269 per capsule 500 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Cefprozil | Bacterial infections | 7 labelers | $0.925 per tablet 500 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Cefixime | Bacterial infections | 6 labelers | $10.03 per capsule 400 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Amoxicillin | Bacterial infections | 38 labelers | $0.0788 per capsule 500 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Azithromycin | Bacterial infections | 47 labelers | $0.266 per tablet 250 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as cefpodoxime
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does cefpodoxime compare with medicines for the same use?
15 side-by-side pages set cefpodoxime beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to cefpodoxime
- 23 medicines for the same use
- Other cephalosporins
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Cefpodoxime side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other