Over-the-counter medicine
Docosanol Brand names: Abreva
Docosanol (Abreva) is an over-the-counter medicine with an FDA approval on record since 2000. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 41 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $5.79 per gram (Docosanol 10% cream) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the docosanol FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 20, 2024, Haleon US Holdings LLC); the NDA 20941 record on Drugs@FDA; every docosanol label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of June 20, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagetreats cold sores/fever blisters on the face or lips shortens healing time and duration of symptoms: tingling, pain, burning, and/or itching
Forms and strengths
- 100 mg/g
Cream.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 25, 2000 Abreva, Haleon Us Holdings; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 8 first November 19, 2018; 8 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 41 of which 41 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $5.79 per gram Docosanol 10% cream
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 14,572 through July 30, 2026
What is docosanol used for?
From the label: indications and usagetreats cold sores/fever blisters on the face or lips shortens healing time and duration of symptoms: tingling, pain, burning, and/or itching
Source: FDA drug label (ABREVA), Haleon US Holdings LLC, effective June 20, 2024 (SPL set c39b38a7-dcdd-4c32-8f35-b565c4d3cec6), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for docosanol (Abreva)?
The FDA approved the first generic docosanol on November 19, 2018. 8 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 docosanol from 41 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.
- 2000 earliest approval on file
- 2018 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for docosanol (Abreva)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $5.79 per gram (Docosanol 10% cream), down 17% from $6.99 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.
- Docosanol 10% cream (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docosanol 10% cream | Generic | $5.79 per gram | n/a | -17% |
| Ft docosanol 10% cream | Generic | $5.79 per gram | n/a | -17% |
| Gnp docosanol 10% cream | Generic | $5.79 per gram | n/a | -17% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What do FAERS reports show for docosanol?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 14,572 reports that list docosanol among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 9 are coded as a death and 133 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 next?
- Docosanol side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other