Prescription medicine
Chloroprocaine Brand names: Nesacaine, Iheezo; first approved as Nesacaine-Mpf
Chloroprocaine (Nesacaine) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1955. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 2 generic labelers.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the chloroprocaine FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 1, 2022, Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC); the NDA 9435 record on Drugs@FDA; every chloroprocaine label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of September 1, 2022; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageNesacaine 1% and 2% Injections, in multidose vials with methylparaben as preservative, are indicated for the production of local anesthesia by infiltration and peripheral nerve block.
Forms and strengths
- 24 mg
- 10 mg/ml
- 20 mg/ml
- 30 mg/ml
Injection (solution); gel.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 11, 1955 Nesacaine-Mpf, Fresenius Kabi Usa; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 3 first April 16, 1982; 1 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 5 of which 2 under generic applications, 3 under brand applications, repackagers included
- Last listed patent
- May 14, 2039 Iheezo gel; not a generic launch date
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
- 138 through July 30, 2026
What is chloroprocaine used for?
From the label: indications and usageNesacaine 1% and 2% Injections, in multidose vials with methylparaben as preservative, are indicated for the production of local anesthesia by infiltration and peripheral nerve block. They are not to be used for lumbar or caudal epidural anesthesia. Nesacaine-MPF 2% and 3% Injections, in single dose vials without preservative and without EDTA, are indicated for the production of local anesthesia by infiltration, peripheral and central nerve block, including lumbar and caudal epidural blocks. Nesacaine and Nesacaine-MPF Injections are not to be used for subarachnoid administration.
FDA pharmacologic class: Ester Local Anesthetic.
Source: FDA drug label (Nesacaine), Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC, effective September 1, 2022 (SPL set a844e68a-1462-40e4-be5e-f56214906eb9), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for chloroprocaine (Nesacaine)?
The FDA approved the first generic chloroprocaine on April 16, 1982. 3 generic applications are approved; 1 of them 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 chloroprocaine from 2 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 3 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
The Orange Book lists no patent for Nesacaine injection; a patent listed only for Iheezo gel runs to May 14, 2039. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.
- 1955 earliest approval on file
- 1982 first generic approved
- 2039 last listed patent
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What does the chloroprocaine label say about other medicines?
The chloroprocaine 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Epinephrine | warnings | The majority of reported cases of chondrolysis have involved the shoulder joint; cases of gleno-humeral chondrolysis have been described in pediatric and adult patients following intra-articular infusions of local anesthetics with and without epinephrine for periods of 48 to 72 hours. |
Source: FDA drug label (Nesacaine), Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC, effective September 1, 2022 (SPL set a844e68a-1462-40e4-be5e-f56214906eb9), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for chloroprocaine?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 138 reports that list chloroprocaine 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 9 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 next?
- Other ester local anesthetics
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Chloroprocaine side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other