Prescription medicine
Hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b First approved as Cortisporin
Hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b (Cortisporin) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1963. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 14 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $5.09 per mL (Neomycin-polymyxin-hc ear solution) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 4, 2026, Preferred Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); the NDA 50218 record on Drugs@FDA; every hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of August 4, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageFor the treatment of superficial bacterial infections of the external auditory canal caused by organisms susceptible to the action of the antibiotics, and for the treatment of infections of mastoidectomy and fenestration cavities caused by organisms susceptible to the antibiotics.
Forms and strengths
- 3.5 mg/ml / 10 mg/ml
- 10 mg/ml / 3.5 mg/ml
Suspension; solution/ drops; suspension/ drops; solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 16, 1963 Cortisporin, Monarch Pharms; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 11 first August 25, 1983; 9 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 15 of which 14 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $5.09 per mL Neomycin-polymyxin-hc ear solution
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 279 through July 30, 2026
What is hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b used for?
From the label: indications and usageFor the treatment of superficial bacterial infections of the external auditory canal caused by organisms susceptible to the action of the antibiotics, and for the treatment of infections of mastoidectomy and fenestration cavities caused by organisms susceptible to the antibiotics.
Conditions named in the indications of hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b labelsBacterial infections: INDICATIONS AND USAGE For the treatment of superficial bacterial infections of the external auditory canal caused by organisms susceptible to the action of the antibiotics, and for the treatment of infections of mastoidectomy and …
FDA pharmacologic class: Aminoglycoside Antibacterial, Corticosteroid and Polymyxin-class Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Hydrocortisone Otic Suspension), Preferred Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective August 4, 2026 (SPL set 5f17fae0-c6ea-452e-b84f-066caf2a95fc), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b (Cortisporin)?
The FDA approved the first generic hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b on August 25, 1983. 11 generic applications are approved; 9 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 hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b from 14 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1963 earliest approval on file
- 1983 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b (Cortisporin)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $5.09 per mL (Neomycin-polymyxin-hc ear solution), down 4% from $5.29 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.
- Neomycin-polymyxin-hc ear suspension (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neomycin-poly-hc eye drops | Generic | $17.64 per mL | n/a | -5% |
| Neomycin-polymyxin-hc ear solution | Generic | $5.09 per mL | n/a | -4% |
| Neomycin-polymyxin-hc ear suspension | Generic | $3.83 per mL | n/a | -14% |
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 hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 279 reports that list hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 3 are coded as a death and 17 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 else is labeled for the same conditions as hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b?
2 other medicines are given the same way (auricular (otic)) and in the same FDA class as hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b or labeled mainly for the same use (bacterial infections), the same class first. Bacterial infections lists all 51 medicines labeled for it, by any route. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (auricular (otic)) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone | Bacterial infections | 11 labelers | $7.12 per mL Ciproflox-dexameth ear suspension | No current entry |
| Ofloxacin | Bacterial infections | 20 labelers | $1.04 per mL 0.3% ear drops | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Other aminoglycoside antibacterials
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Hydrocortisone and neomycin and polymyxin b side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other