Prescription medicine
Pentoxifylline Brand names: Trental
Pentoxifylline (Trental) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1984. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 6 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.227 per pentoxifylline ER 400 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the pentoxifylline FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 15, 2026, Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc.); the NDA 18631 record on Drugs@FDA; every pentoxifylline label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 15, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePentoxifylline extended-release tablets are indicated for the treatment of patients with intermittent claudication on the basis of chronic occlusive arterial disease of the limbs.
Forms and strengths
- 400 mg
Extended-release tablet; tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 30, 1984 Trental, Validus Pharms; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 10 first July 8, 1997; 3 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 8 of which 6 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.227 per tablet Pentoxifylline ER 400 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 4,297 through July 30, 2026
What is pentoxifylline used for?
From the label: indications and usagePentoxifylline extended-release tablets are indicated for the treatment of patients with intermittent claudication on the basis of chronic occlusive arterial disease of the limbs. Pentoxifylline extended-release tablets can improve function and symptoms but is not intended to replace more definitive therapy, such as surgical bypass, or removal of arterial obstructions when treating peripheral vascular disease.
FDA pharmacologic class: Blood Viscosity Reducer.
Source: FDA drug label (Pentoxifylline), Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc., effective May 15, 2026 (SPL set cd840a2c-2a0e-4b2b-84ff-a0406bb6fa37), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for pentoxifylline (Trental)?
The FDA approved the first generic pentoxifylline on July 8, 1997. 10 generic applications are approved; 3 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 pentoxifylline from 6 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.
- 1984 earliest approval on file
- 1997 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for pentoxifylline (Trental)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.227 per Pentoxifylline ER 400 mg tablet, up 2% from $0.224 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.
- Pentoxifylline ER 400 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentoxifylline ER 400 mg tablet | Generic | $0.227 per tablet | $6.82 | +2% |
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 pentoxifylline label say about other medicines?
The pentoxifylline label names 5 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 17 other medicines name pentoxifylline. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | contraindications | CONTRAINDICATIONS Pentoxifylline extended-release tablets should not be used in patients with recent cerebral and/or retinal hemorrhage or in patients who have previously exhibited intolerance to this product or methylxanthines such as caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. |
| Cimetidine | drug interactions | Concomitant administration with cimetidine is reported to increase the average steady state plasma concentration of pentoxifylline (~25%) and the Metabolite I (~30%). |
| Ciprofloxacin | drug interactions | Concomitant administration of strong CYP1A2 inhibitors (including e.g., ciprofloxacin or fluvoxamine) may increase the exposure to pentoxifylline (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). |
| Fluvoxamine | drug interactions | Concomitant administration of strong CYP1A2 inhibitors (including e.g., ciprofloxacin or fluvoxamine) may increase the exposure to pentoxifylline (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). |
| Theophylline | contraindications | CONTRAINDICATIONS Pentoxifylline extended-release tablets should not be used in patients with recent cerebral and/or retinal hemorrhage or in patients who have previously exhibited intolerance to this product or methylxanthines such as caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. |
Other labels that name pentoxifylline
Source: FDA drug label (Pentoxifylline), Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc., effective May 15, 2026 (SPL set cd840a2c-2a0e-4b2b-84ff-a0406bb6fa37), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for pentoxifylline?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 4,297 reports that list pentoxifylline among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 746 are coded as a death and 1,650 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?
- Pentoxifylline side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other