Prescription medicine
Desipramine Brand names: Norpramin
Desipramine (Norpramin) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1964. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 9 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.276 per desipramine 75 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the desipramine FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 9, 2025, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc.); the NDA 14399 record on Drugs@FDA; every desipramine label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of July 9, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of desipramine hydrochloride tablets or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. Desipramine hydrochloride tablets are not approved for use in pediatric patients (see WARNINGS: Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk, PRECAUTIONS: Information for Patients, and PRECAUTIONS: Pediatric Use).
Used for
From the label: indications and usageDesipramine hydrochloride tablets, USP are indicated for the treatment of depression.
Forms and strengths
- 10 mg
- 25 mg
- 50 mg
- 75 mg
- 100 mg
- 150 mg
Film-coated tablet; tablet; sugar-coated tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 20, 1964 Norpramin, Validus Pharms; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 12 first June 5, 1987; 8 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 10 of which 9 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.276 per tablet Desipramine 75 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 6 since 2013 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest October 6, 2025; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 274 through July 30, 2026
What is desipramine used for?
From the label: indications and usageDesipramine hydrochloride tablets, USP are indicated for the treatment of depression.
Conditions named in the indications of desipramine's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other desipramine labelsDepression: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Desipramine hydrochloride tablets, USP are indicated for the treatment of depression.
FDA pharmacologic class: Tricyclic Antidepressant.
Source: FDA drug label (DESIPRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE), Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective July 9, 2025 (SPL set cad14805-64d8-4257-b5f1-d56e0063f0e2), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for desipramine (Norpramin)?
The FDA approved the first generic desipramine on June 5, 1987. 12 generic applications are approved; 8 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 desipramine from 9 labelers 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.
- 1964 earliest approval on file
- 1987 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 desipramine (Norpramin)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.276 per Desipramine 75 mg tablet, down 16% from $0.327 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.
- Desipramine 75 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desipramine 10 mg tablet | Generic | $0.136 per tablet | $4.09 | -13% |
| Desipramine 100 mg tablet | Generic | $0.446 per tablet | $13.38 | -6% |
| Desipramine 150 mg tablet | Generic | $0.832 per tablet | $24.95 | -18% |
| Desipramine 25 mg tablet | Generic | $0.127 per tablet | $3.81 | -26% |
| Desipramine 50 mg tablet | Generic | $0.218 per tablet | $6.53 | -32% |
| Desipramine 75 mg tablet | Generic | $0.276 per tablet | $8.27 | -16% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has desipramine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 7 recalls naming desipramine since 2013: 0 Class I (the most serious), 7 Class II, 0 Class III; 6 still ongoing. 1 of them is by a firm that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of desipramine and that holds no application for it in Drugs@FDA, such as compounding pharmacies or bulk-ingredient suppliers; the recall notice names the product recalled. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 6, 2025 | Class II | Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc | CGMP Deviations: N-Nitroso Desipramine impurity exceeding the permissible acceptable daily intake level. |
| July 2, 2013 | Class II | Aidapak Services, LLC not a listed maker | Labeling: Label Mixup; DESIPRAMINE HCL Tablet, 50 mg may be potentially mislabeled as clomiPRAMINE HCl, Capsule, 50 mg, NDC 51672401205, Pedigree: AD30140_4 … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the desipramine label say about other medicines?
The desipramine label names 15 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 41 other medicines name desipramine. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Buspirone | warnings | … serotonergic drugs (including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, tryptophan, buspirone, and St. John’s Wort) and with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin (in particular, MAOIs both those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous … |
| Chlordiazepoxide | drug interactions | … agents employed since the sedative effects of desipramine hydrochloride tablets and benzodiazepines (e.g., chlordiazepoxide or diazepam) are additive. |
| Cimetidine | drug interactions | The drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 include some that are not metabolized by the enzyme (quinidine; cimetidine) and many that are substrates for P450 2D6 (many other antidepressants, phenothiazines, and the Type IC antiarrhythmics propafenone and flecainide). |
| Diazepam | drug interactions | … since the sedative effects of desipramine hydrochloride tablets and benzodiazepines (e.g., chlordiazepoxide or diazepam) are additive. |
| Fentanyl | warnings | … particularly with concomitant use of other serotonergic drugs (including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, tryptophan, buspirone, and St. John’s Wort) and with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin (in particular, MAOIs both those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also … |
| Flecainide | drug interactions | The drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 include some that are not metabolized by the enzyme (quinidine; cimetidine) and many that are substrates for P450 2D6 (many other antidepressants, phenothiazines, and the Type IC antiarrhythmics propafenone and flecainide). |
| Fluoxetine | drug interactions | While all the SSRIs, e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, inhibit P450 2D6, they may vary in the extent of inhibition. |
| Linezolid | contraindications | Starting desipramine hydrochloride tablets in a patient who is being treated with MAOIs such as linezolid or intravenous methylene blue is also contraindicated because of an increased risk of serotonin syndrome (see WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). |
| Lithium | warnings | … with concomitant use of other serotonergic drugs (including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, tryptophan, buspirone, and St. John’s Wort) and with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin (in particular, MAOIs both those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as … |
| Methylene blue | contraindications | Starting desipramine hydrochloride tablets in a patient who is being treated with MAOIs such as linezolid or intravenous methylene blue is also contraindicated because of an increased risk of serotonin syndrome (see WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). |
| Paroxetine | drug interactions | While all the SSRIs, e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, inhibit P450 2D6, they may vary in the extent of inhibition. |
| Propafenone | drug interactions | The drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 include some that are not metabolized by the enzyme (quinidine; cimetidine) and many that are substrates for P450 2D6 (many other antidepressants, phenothiazines, and the Type IC antiarrhythmics propafenone and flecainide). |
| Quinidine | drug interactions | The drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 include some that are not metabolized by the enzyme (quinidine; cimetidine) and many that are substrates for P450 2D6 (many other antidepressants, phenothiazines, and the Type IC antiarrhythmics propafenone and flecainide). |
| Sertraline | drug interactions | While all the SSRIs, e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, inhibit P450 2D6, they may vary in the extent of inhibition. |
Every other medicine the desipramine label names
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Tramadol | warnings | … (including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, tryptophan, buspirone, and St. John’s Wort) and with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin (in particular, MAOIs both … |
Other labels that name desipramine
Source: FDA drug label (DESIPRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE), Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective July 9, 2025 (SPL set cad14805-64d8-4257-b5f1-d56e0063f0e2), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for desipramine?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 274 reports that list desipramine among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 26 are coded as a death and 86 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 desipramine?
30 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as desipramine or labeled mainly for the same use (depression), the same class first. Depression lists all 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amitriptyline | Depression | 36 labelers | $0.03 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Doxepin | Depression | 48 labelers | $0.0779 per capsule 10 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Nortriptyline | Depression | 27 labelers | $0.113 per capsule 10 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Imipramine | Depression | 14 labelers | $0.0698 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Trimipramine | Depression | 3 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Amoxapine | Depression | 2 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Protriptyline | Depression | 2 labelers | $2.71 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Bupropion | Depression | 73 labelers | $0.0785 per tablet 150 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as desipramine
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does desipramine compare with medicines for the same use?
4 side-by-side pages set desipramine beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to desipramine
- 30 medicines for the same use
- Other tricyclic antidepressants
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Desipramine side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other