Prescription medicine
Etomidate Brand names: Amidate
Etomidate (Amidate) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1982. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 10 generic labelers.
- Generic listed
- In shortage
Check it at the source: the etomidate FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 20, 2026, Hospira, Inc.); the NDA 18227 record on Drugs@FDA; every etomidate label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 20, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageAMIDATE is indicated by intravenous injection for the induction of general anesthesia.
Forms and strengths
- 2 mg/ml
- 20 mg/10ml
- 40 mg/20ml
Injection (solution); injection; solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 7, 1982 Amidate, Hospira; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 11 first November 4, 1996; 7 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 12 of which 10 under generic applications, 3 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- 3 of 18 presentations limited or unavailable updated October 5, 2026
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 1 since 2014 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest February 14, 2014; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 2,216 through July 30, 2026
What is etomidate used for?
From the label: indications and usageAMIDATE is indicated by intravenous injection for the induction of general anesthesia. When considering use of AMIDATE, the usefulness of its hemodynamic properties (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ) should be weighed against the high frequency of transient skeletal muscle movements (see ADVERSE REACTIONS ). Intravenous AMIDATE is also indicated for the supplementation of subpotent anesthetic agents, such as nitrous oxide in oxygen, during maintenance of anesthesia for short operative procedures such as dilation and curettage or cervical conization.
FDA pharmacologic class: General Anesthetic.
Source: FDA drug label (Amidate), Hospira, Inc., effective May 20, 2026 (SPL set b7ed5bf8-ba75-44dc-8f81-96b4ad5766be), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for etomidate (Amidate)?
The FDA approved the first generic etomidate on November 4, 1996. 11 generic applications are approved; 7 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 etomidate from 10 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 3 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1982 earliest approval on file
- 1996 first generic approved
- 2022 to now in shortage
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Is etomidate in shortage?
The FDA Drug Shortage Database lists 3 of 18 etomidate presentations as limited or unavailable (updated October 5, 2026); the first entry was posted on October 5, 2022. 15 more presentations are on the list as available.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 0409-6695-01) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | Current | September 22, 2026 |
| Amidate, Injection, 2 mg/mL (NDC 0409-6695-02) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | Current | August 24, 2026 |
| Etomidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 0143-9310-10) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Etomidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 0143-9311-10) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Etomidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 0143-9506-10) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Etomidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 0143-9507-10) | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | Current | September 18, 2026 |
| Etomidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 67457-902-10) | Mylan Institutional, a Viatris Company | Current | September 17, 2026 |
| Etomidate, Injection, 2 mg/1 mL (NDC 67457-903-20) | Mylan Institutional, a Viatris Company | Current | October 5, 2026 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
Has etomidate been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 2 recalls naming etomidate since 2014: 0 Class I (the most serious), 2 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. 1 of them is by a firm that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of etomidate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 15, 2019 | Class II | Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. not a listed maker | Subpotent Drug. |
| February 14, 2014 | Class II | Agila Specialties Private Ltd. | Presence of Particulate Matter: Potential for small black particles to be present in individual vials, the potential for missing lot number and/or expiry date … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for etomidate?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 2,216 reports that list etomidate among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 477 are coded as a death and 939 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?
- Other general anesthetics
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Etomidate side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Etomidate shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other