Prescription medicine
Ertapenem Brand names: Invanz
Ertapenem (Invanz) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 2001. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 15 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $26.63 per ertapenem 1 gram vial in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the ertapenem FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 4, 2026, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC); the NDA 21337 record on Drugs@FDA; every ertapenem label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of February 4, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageINVANZ is a penem antibacterial indicated in adult patients and pediatric patients (3 months of age and older) for the treatment of the following moderate to severe infections caused by susceptible bacteria: Complicated intra-abdominal infections.
Forms and strengths
- 1 g
- 1 g/20ml
Injection (powder) (lyophilized) for solution; injection.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 21, 2001 Invanz, Msd Sub Merck; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 6 first April 16, 2018; 5 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 17 of which 15 under generic applications, 2 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $26.63 per vial Ertapenem 1 gram vial
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 7,339 through July 30, 2026
What is ertapenem used for?
From the label: indications and usageINVANZ is a penem antibacterial indicated in adult patients and pediatric patients (3 months of age and older) for the treatment of the following moderate to severe infections caused by susceptible bacteria: Complicated intra-abdominal infections. ( 1.1 ) Complicated skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections without osteomyelitis. ( 1.2 ) Community-acquired pneumonia. ( 1.3 ) Complicated urinary tract infections including pyelonephritis. ( 1.4 ) Acute pelvic infections including postpartum endomyometritis, septic abortion and post-surgical gynecologic infections. […]
Conditions named in the indications of ertapenem's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other ertapenem labelsUrinary tract infections: Complicated Urinary Tract Infections Including Pyelonephritis INVANZ is indicated for the treatment of adult patients and pediatric patients (3 months of age and older) with complicated urinary tract infections including pyelonephritis due …
FDA pharmacologic class: Penem Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (INVANZ), Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, effective February 4, 2026 (SPL set 33f3b99b-fa82-42e0-26bf-f49891ae3d22), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for ertapenem (Invanz)?
The FDA approved the first generic ertapenem on April 16, 2018. 6 generic applications are approved; 5 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 ertapenem from 15 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.
- 2001 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 ertapenem (Invanz)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $26.63 per Ertapenem 1 gram vial, down 19% from $33.03 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.
- Ertapenem 1 gram vial (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ertapenem 1 gram vial | Generic | $26.63 per vial | n/a | -19% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What does the ertapenem label say about other medicines?
The ertapenem label names 4 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 2 other medicines name ertapenem. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Divalproex | drug interactions | DRUG INTERACTIONS Co-administration with probenecid inhibits the renal excretion of ertapenem and is therefore not recommended. ( 7.1 ) The concomitant use of ertapenem and valproic acid/divalproex sodium is generally not recommended. |
| Lidocaine | contraindications | Due to the use of lidocaine HCl as a diluent, INVANZ administered intramuscularly is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to local anesthetics of the amide type. |
| Probenecid | drug interactions | DRUG INTERACTIONS Co-administration with probenecid inhibits the renal excretion of ertapenem and is therefore not recommended. ( 7.1 ) The concomitant use of ertapenem and valproic acid/divalproex sodium is generally not recommended. |
| Valproic acid | drug interactions | DRUG INTERACTIONS Co-administration with probenecid inhibits the renal excretion of ertapenem and is therefore not recommended. ( 7.1 ) The concomitant use of ertapenem and valproic acid/divalproex sodium is generally not recommended. |
Source: FDA drug label (INVANZ), Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, effective February 4, 2026 (SPL set 33f3b99b-fa82-42e0-26bf-f49891ae3d22), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for ertapenem?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 7,339 reports that list ertapenem among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 627 are coded as a death and 3,423 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
How does ertapenem compare with medicines for the same use?
2 side-by-side pages set ertapenem beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to ertapenem
- medicines labeled for the same conditions
- Other penem antibacterials
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Ertapenem side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other