Prescription medicine
Diethylpropion First approved as Tenuate
Diethylpropion (Tenuate) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1959. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 13 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.238 per diethylpropion 25 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- DEA Schedule IV
Check it at the source: the diethylpropion FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 31, 2019, Lannett Company, Inc.); the NDA 11722 record on Drugs@FDA; every diethylpropion label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of December 31, 2019; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageDiethylpropion hydrochloride tablets USP, 25 mg are indicated in the management of exogenous obesity as a short-term adjunct (a few weeks) in a regimen of weight reduction based on caloric restriction in patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m 2 or higher and who have not responded to appropriate weight reducing regimen (diet and/or exercise) alone.
Forms and strengths
- 25 mg
- 75 mg
Tablet; extended-release tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 6, 1959 Tenuate, Mpp Pharma; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 9 first August 15, 1979; 3 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 13 of which 13 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.238 per tablet Diethylpropion 25 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 2 since 2020 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest September 16, 2020
- FAERS reports
- 127 through July 30, 2026
What is diethylpropion used for?
From the label: indications and usageDiethylpropion hydrochloride tablets USP, 25 mg are indicated in the management of exogenous obesity as a short-term adjunct (a few weeks) in a regimen of weight reduction based on caloric restriction in patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m 2 or higher and who have not responded to appropriate weight reducing regimen (diet and/or exercise) alone. Below is a chart of BMI based on various heights and weights. BMI is calculated by taking the patient's weight, in kilograms (kg), divided by the patient's height, in meters (m), squared. Metric conversions are as follows: pounds divided by 2.2 = kg; inches × 0.0254 = meters. […]
Conditions named in the indications of diethylpropion's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other diethylpropion labelsWeight management: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Diethylpropion hydrochloride tablets USP, 25 mg are indicated in the management of exogenous obesity as a short-term adjunct (a few weeks) in a regimen of weight reduction based on caloric restriction in patients with …
FDA pharmacologic class: Sympathomimetic Amine Anorectic.
Source: FDA drug label (Diethylpropion Hydrochloride), Lannett Company, Inc., effective December 31, 2019 (SPL set 4fdbc049-6497-4ea0-8788-d2b2963328f7), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for diethylpropion (Tenuate)?
The FDA approved the first generic diethylpropion on August 15, 1979. 9 generic applications are approved; 3 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 diethylpropion from 13 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.
- 1959 earliest approval on file
- 1979 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 diethylpropion (Tenuate)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.238 per Diethylpropion 25 mg tablet, up 12% from $0.213 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.
- Diethylpropion 25 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diethylpropion 25 mg tablet | Generic | $0.238 per tablet | $7.14 | +12% |
| Diethylpropion ER 75 mg tablet | Generic | $1.91 per tablet | $57.35 | +58% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has diethylpropion been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 2 recalls naming diethylpropion since 2020: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2020 | Class II | Calvin Scott & Company, Inc. | cMGP Deviations: Drug products repackaged into pouches without supporting stability studies. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the diethylpropion label say about other medicines?
The diethylpropion 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fenfluramine | warnings | Valvular heart disease associated with the use of some anorectic agents such as fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine has been reported. |
Source: FDA drug label (Diethylpropion Hydrochloride), Lannett Company, Inc., effective December 31, 2019 (SPL set 4fdbc049-6497-4ea0-8788-d2b2963328f7), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for diethylpropion?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 127 reports that list diethylpropion among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 5 are coded as a death and 27 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 diethylpropion?
7 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as diethylpropion or labeled mainly for the same use (weight management), the same class first. Weight management lists all 12 medicines labeled for it, by any route. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phentermine | Weight management | 27 labelers | $0.0727 per tablet 37.5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Phendimetrazine | Weight management | 11 labelers | $0.132 per tablet 35 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Phentermine and topiramate | Weight management | 2 labelers | $3.06 per capsule 7.5-46 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Benzphetamine | Weight management | 6 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Orforglipron | Weight management | none listed | $20.89 per tablet 0.8 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Orlistat | Weight management | none listed | $7.00 per capsule 120 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Bupropion and naltrexone | Weight management | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as diethylpropion
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does diethylpropion compare with medicines for the same use?
2 side-by-side pages set diethylpropion beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to diethylpropion
- 7 medicines for the same use
- Other sympathomimetic amine anorectics
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Diethylpropion side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other