Prescription medicine
Desonide Brand names: Tridesilon
Desonide (Tridesilon) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1972. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 12 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.252 per gram (Desonide 0.05% cream) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the desonide FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 3, 2026, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc.); the NDA 17010 record on Drugs@FDA; every desonide label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of February 3, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageDesonide cream USP, 0.05% is a low potency corticosteroid indicated for the relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid responsive dermatoses.
Forms and strengths
- 0.03 g/60g
- 0.5 mg/g
- 0.5 mg/ml
Cream; ointment; lotion; gel.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- January 4, 1972 Desonide, Padagis Us; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 20 first June 15, 1988; 12 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 15 of which 12 under generic applications, 2 under brand applications, repackagers included
- Last listed patent
- August 13, 2027 Verdeso aerosol; not a generic launch date
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.252 per gram Desonide 0.05% cream
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 2 since 2017 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest March 15, 2022
- FAERS reports
- 4,960 through July 30, 2026
What is desonide used for?
From the label: indications and usageDesonide cream USP, 0.05% is a low potency corticosteroid indicated for the relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid responsive dermatoses. It should not be used for longer than two weeks unless directed by a physician.
Conditions named in the indications of desonide's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other desonide labelsEczema (atopic dermatitis): Desonide Gel, 0.05% is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in patients 3 months of age and older.
FDA pharmacologic class: Corticosteroid.
Source: FDA drug label (Desonide), Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective February 3, 2026 (SPL set c3420815-e9d8-4c19-b601-b918b0aa1f84), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for desonide (Tridesilon)?
The FDA approved the first generic desonide on June 15, 1988. 20 generic applications are approved; 12 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 desonide from 12 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 2 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 Desonide ointment; a patent listed only for Verdeso aerosol runs to August 13, 2027. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.
- 1972 earliest approval on file
- 1988 first generic approved
- 2027 last listed patent
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for desonide (Tridesilon)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.252 per gram (Desonide 0.05% cream), down 21% from $0.319 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.
- Desonide 0.05% cream (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desonide 0.05% cream | Generic | $0.252 per gram | n/a | -21% |
| Desonide 0.05% lotion | Generic | $0.533 per mL | n/a | +3% |
| Desonide 0.05% ointment | Generic | $0.324 per gram | n/a | -12% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has desonide been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 2 recalls naming desonide since 2017: 0 Class I (the most serious), 2 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 15, 2022 | Class II | Teligent Pharma, Inc. | cGMP deviations: all products within expiry are being recalled because the firm is discontinuing its stability study program. |
| March 2, 2017 | Class II | Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Labeling: Label Mixup; Unit boxes labeled as Desonide Ointment 0.05% may contain tubes of Desonide Ointment labeled as Ketoconazole Cream |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for desonide?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 4,960 reports that list desonide among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 196 are coded as a death and 1,101 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 desonide?
10 other medicines are given the same way (topical) and in the same FDA class as desonide or labeled mainly for the same use (eczema (atopic dermatitis)), the same class first. Eczema (atopic dermatitis) lists all 26 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 (topical) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrocortisone | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | 30 labelers | $0.0613 per gram 1% cream | A presentation being discontinued |
| Fluocinolone | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | 15 labelers | $0.171 per mL 0.01% scalp oil | No current entry |
| Fluticasone | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | 8 labelers | $0.243 per gram 0.05% cream | No current entry |
| Dexamethasone | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | none listed | n/a | In shortage |
| Oatmeal | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
| Pimecrolimus | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | 2 labelers | $3.31 per gram 1% cream | No current entry |
| Crisaborole | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | none listed | $11.68 per gram 2% ointment | No current entry |
| Delgocitinib | Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does desonide compare with medicines for the same use?
4 side-by-side pages set desonide beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to desonide
- 10 medicines for the same use
- Other corticosteroids
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Desonide side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other