Prescription medicine
Formoterol Brand names: Perforomist; first approved as Foradil
Formoterol (Perforomist) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 2001. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 11 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $1.30 per mL (Formoterol 20 mcg/2 mL neb vial) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the formoterol FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 31, 2019, Viatris Specialty LLC); the NDA 20831 record on Drugs@FDA; every formoterol label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 31, 2019; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePERFOROMIST Inhalation Solution is a long-acting beta 2 -adrenergic agonist (beta 2 -agonist) indicated for:
Long-term, twice daily (morning and evening) administration in the maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Forms and strengths
- 2ml
- 0.02 mg/2ml
Solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 16, 2001 Foradil, Novartis; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 10 first June 22, 2021; 10 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 13 of which 11 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $1.30 per mL Formoterol 20 mcg/2 mL neb vial
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 4,695 through July 30, 2026
What is formoterol used for?
From the label: indications and usagePERFOROMIST Inhalation Solution is a long-acting beta 2 -adrenergic agonist (beta 2 -agonist) indicated for:
Long-term, twice daily (morning and evening) administration in the maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. ( 1.1 ) Important limitations of use:
PERFOROMIST Inhalation Solution is not indicated to treat acute deteriorations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ( 1.2 , 5.2 )
PERFOROMIST Inhalation Solution is not indicated to treat asthma. […]
Conditions named in the indications of formoterol's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other formoterol labelsCOPD: Treatment of COPD PERFOROMIST (formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Solution is indicated for the long-term, twice daily (morning and evening) administration in the maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with chronic …
FDA pharmacologic class: beta2-Adrenergic Agonist.
Source: FDA drug label (Perforomist), Viatris Specialty LLC, effective May 31, 2019 (SPL set fb2fe258-fe2e-47f6-8adf-ca75bf6f90af), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for formoterol (Perforomist)?
The FDA approved the first generic formoterol on June 22, 2021. 10 generic applications are approved; 10 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 formoterol from 11 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.
- 2001 earliest approval on file
- 2021 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for formoterol (Perforomist)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $1.30 per mL (Formoterol 20 mcg/2 mL neb vial), down 64% from $3.68 on October 8, 2025. The survey records the price, not the reason for a change; large moves often follow a new generic or a list-price change. 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.
- Formoterol 20 mcg/2 mL neb vial (generic)
- Perforomist 20 mcg/2 mL solution (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formoterol 20 mcg/2 mL neb vial | Generic | $1.30 per mL | n/a | -64% |
| Perforomist 20 mcg/2 mL solution | Brand | $10.08 per mL | n/a | +3% |
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 formoterol label say about other medicines?
The formoterol label names 2 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 7 other medicines name formoterol. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Albuterol | warnings and precautions | Doses of the related beta 2 -agonist albuterol, when administered intravenously, have been reported to aggravate preexisting diabetes mellitus and ketoacidosis. |
| Salmeterol | warnings and precautions | A 28-week, placebo-controlled US study comparing the safety of another LABA (salmeterol) with placebo, each added to usual asthma therapy, showed an increase in asthma-related deaths in patients receiving salmeterol (13/13,176 in patients treated with salmeterol vs. 3/13,179 in patients treated with placebo; |
Other labels that name formoterol
Source: FDA drug label (Perforomist), Viatris Specialty LLC, effective May 31, 2019 (SPL set fb2fe258-fe2e-47f6-8adf-ca75bf6f90af), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for formoterol?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 4,695 reports that list formoterol among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 526 are coded as a death and 2,117 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 formoterol?
13 other medicines are given the same way (respiratory (inhalation)) and in the same FDA class as formoterol or labeled mainly for the same use (COPD), the same class first. COPD lists all 23 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 (respiratory (inhalation)) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluticasone and salmeterol | COPD | 8 labelers | $1.07 per unit 100-50 | A presentation being discontinued |
| Albuterol and ipratropium | COPD | 14 labelers | $0.0787 per mL 0.5-3(2.5) mg/3 mL | No current entry |
| Arformoterol | COPD | 15 labelers | $0.633 per mL 15 mcg/2 mL solution | No current entry |
| Fluticasone and vilanterol | COPD | none listed | $3.90 per unit 100-25 | No current entry |
| Fluticasone and umeclidinium and vilanterol | COPD | none listed | $11.12 per unit 100-62.5-25 | No current entry |
| Umeclidinium and vilanterol | COPD | none listed | $4.95 per inhaler 62.5-25 mcg inhaler | No current entry |
| Olodaterol | COPD | none listed | $65.94 per gram Striverdi respimat inhal spray | No current entry |
| Olodaterol and tiotropium | COPD | none listed | $115.80 per gram 60) | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as formoterol
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does formoterol compare with medicines for the same use?
2 side-by-side pages set formoterol beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to formoterol
- 13 medicines for the same use
- Other beta-2 agonists
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Formoterol side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other