Prescription medicine
Hetastarch Brand names: Hextend
Hetastarch (Hextend) is a prescription medicine. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 2 generic labelers.
- Generic listed
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the hetastarch FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 20, 2026); every hetastarch label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 20, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
MORTALITY; KIDNEY INJURY; COAGULOPATHY •.
Use of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) products, including HEXTEND ® , increases risk of o Mortality o Kidney injury o Coagulopathy DO NOT use HES products, including HEXTEND ® , unless adequate alternative treatment is unavailable.
Used for
From the label: indications and usageHEXTEND (6% Hetastarch in Lactated Electrolyte Injection) is indicated in the treatment of hypovolemia when plasma volume expansion is desired in settings where adequate alternative treatment is unavailable.
Forms and strengths
- 6 g/100ml
Injection (solution).
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 2 of which 2 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 1 since 2012 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest October 22, 2012
- FAERS reports
- 164 through July 30, 2026
What is hetastarch used for?
From the label: indications and usageHEXTEND (6% Hetastarch in Lactated Electrolyte Injection) is indicated in the treatment of hypovolemia when plasma volume expansion is desired in settings where adequate alternative treatment is unavailable. It is not a substitute for blood or plasma.
FDA pharmacologic class: Plasma Volume Expander.
Source: FDA drug label (Hextend), Hospira, Inc., effective May 20, 2026 (SPL set fc79700c-6c3b-4998-8307-4dc8c81c5041), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for hetastarch (Hextend)?
No generic hetastarch is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
FDA's NDC Directory lists hetastarch from 2 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.
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Has hetastarch been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 1 recall naming hetastarch since 2012: 0 Class I (the most serious), 1 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 22, 2012 | Class II | Hospira Inc. | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: There is the potential for the solution to leak from the seal of the fill tube to the bag. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the hetastarch label say about other medicines?
The hetastarch 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Corticotropin | warnings and precautions | Caution must be exercised in the administration of parenteral fluids, especially those containing sodium ions, to patients receiving corticosteroids or corticotropin. |
Source: FDA drug label (Hextend), Hospira, Inc., effective May 20, 2026 (SPL set fc79700c-6c3b-4998-8307-4dc8c81c5041), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for hetastarch?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 164 reports that list hetastarch among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 27 are coded as a death and 56 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 next?
- Other plasma volume expanders
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Hetastarch side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other