Prescription medicine
Phentermine Brand names: Lomaira; first approved as Fastin
Phentermine (Lomaira) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1973. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 25 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.0727 per phentermine 37.5 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- DEA Schedule IV
Check it at the source: the phentermine FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 18, 2024, KVK-Tech, Inc.); the NDA 17352 record on Drugs@FDA; every phentermine label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of April 18, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePhentermine Hydrochloride, USP 15 mg and 30 mg is indicated as a short-term (a few weeks) adjunct in a regimen of weight reduction based on exercise, behavioral modification and caloric restriction in the management of exogenous obesity for patients with an initial body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m 2 , or greater than or equal to 27 kg/m 2 in the presence of other risk factors (e.g., controlled hyperte
Forms and strengths
- 8 mg
- 15 mg
- 30 mg
- 37.5 mg
Capsule; tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 14, 1973 Fastin, Glaxosmithkline; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 83 first February 24, 1976; 21 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 25 of which 25 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
- Last listed patent
- March 14, 2029 Suprenza tablets; not a generic launch date
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0727 per tablet Phentermine 37.5 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 9 since 2015 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest May 9, 2025; 2 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 6,389 through July 30, 2026
What is phentermine used for?
From the label: indications and usagePhentermine Hydrochloride, USP 15 mg and 30 mg is indicated as a short-term (a few weeks) adjunct in a regimen of weight reduction based on exercise, behavioral modification and caloric restriction in the management of exogenous obesity for patients with an initial body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m 2 , or greater than or equal to 27 kg/m 2 in the presence of other risk factors (e.g., controlled hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia). Below is a chart of Body Mass Index (BMI) based on various heights and weights. BMI is calculated by taking the patient’s weight, in kilograms (kg), divided by the patient’s height, in meters (m), squared. […]
Conditions named in the indications of phentermine's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
FDA pharmacologic class: Sympathomimetic Amine Anorectic.
Source: FDA drug label (Phentermine Hydrochloride), KVK-Tech, Inc., effective April 18, 2024 (SPL set b963f7bb-fa65-4e28-81c9-282fbe70a6a6), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for phentermine (Lomaira)?
The FDA approved the first generic phentermine on February 24, 1976. 83 generic applications are approved; 21 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 phentermine from 25 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.
The Orange Book lists 1 patent for Suprenza tablets, the last expiring on March 14, 2029. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.
- 1973 earliest approval on file
- 1976 first generic approved
- 2029 last listed patent
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for phentermine (Lomaira)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0727 per Phentermine 37.5 mg tablet, up 3% from $0.0708 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.
- Phentermine 37.5 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lomaira 8 mg tablet | Generic | $0.618 per tablet | $18.54 | +0.5% |
| Phentermine 15 mg capsule | Generic | $0.101 per capsule | $3.04 | +19% |
| Phentermine 30 mg capsule | Generic | $0.126 per capsule | $3.78 | +17% |
| Phentermine 37.5 mg capsule | Generic | $0.105 per capsule | $3.15 | +14% |
| Phentermine 37.5 mg tablet | Generic | $0.0727 per tablet | $2.18 | +3% |
| Phentermine 8 mg tablet | Generic | $0.618 per tablet | $18.54 | n/a |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has phentermine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 11 recalls naming phentermine since 2015: 0 Class I (the most serious), 6 Class II, 5 Class III; 1 still ongoing. 2 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of phentermine and that hold 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2025 | Class II | KVK Tech, Inc. | cGMP deviations |
| March 15, 2021 | Class II | Cardinal Health Inc. not a listed maker | CGMP Deviations: Intermittent exposure to temperature excursion during storage. |
| September 16, 2020 | Class II | Calvin Scott & Company, Inc. | cMGP Deviations: Drug products repackaged into pouches without supporting stability studies. |
| July 27, 2020 | Class II | Calvin Scott & Company, Inc. | CGMP Deviations: Light sensitive drug products repackaged in transparent/partially transparent pouches. |
| March 18, 2020 | Class II | Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc. | CGMP Deviations: Products were manufactured in a processing area in which water leakage was observed |
| September 5, 2017 | Class III | Aidarex Pharmaceuticals LLC | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specification; out-of-specification results for individual unknown impurities at the 30 month Room Temperature Retained Sample … |
| August 11, 2017 | Class III | PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications:Out of specification results for individual unknown impurities at 30th month Room Temperature Retained Sample … |
| August 3, 2017 | Class III | KVK-Tech, Inc. | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications: out-of-specification results obtained for individual unknown impurities found at 30 month Room Temperature … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the phentermine label say about other medicines?
The phentermine label names 6 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 2 other medicines name phentermine. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amphetamine | warnings and precautions | Abuse and Dependence Phentermine is related chemically and pharmacologically to amphetamine (d- and d/l-amphetamine) and other related stimulant drugs have been extensively abused. |
| Fenfluramine | warnings and precautions | Hypertension (PPH) – a rare, frequently fatal disease of the lungs – has been reported to occur in patients receiving a combination of phentermine with fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine. |
| Fluoxetine | warnings and precautions | The safety and efficacy of combination therapy with phentermine and any other drug products for weight loss including prescribed drugs, over-the-counter preparations, and herbal products, or serotonergic agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, paroxetine) … |
| Fluvoxamine | warnings and precautions | … products, or serotonergic agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, paroxetine), have not been established. |
| Paroxetine | warnings and precautions | … serotonergic agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, paroxetine), have not been established. |
| Sertraline | warnings and precautions | … herbal products, or serotonergic agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, paroxetine), have not been established. |
Source: FDA drug label (Phentermine Hydrochloride), KVK-Tech, Inc., effective April 18, 2024 (SPL set b963f7bb-fa65-4e28-81c9-282fbe70a6a6), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for phentermine?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 6,389 reports that list phentermine among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 415 are coded as a death and 1,557 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 phentermine?
6 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as phentermine or labeled mainly for the same use (weight management), the same class first. Weight management lists all 12 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 (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diethylpropion | Weight management | 13 labelers | $0.238 per tablet 25 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Phendimetrazine | Weight management | 11 labelers | $0.132 per tablet 35 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Benzphetamine | Weight management | 6 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Orforglipron | Weight management | none listed | $20.89 per tablet 0.8 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Orlistat | Weight management | none listed | $7.00 per capsule 120 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Bupropion and naltrexone | Weight management | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as phentermine
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does phentermine compare with medicines for the same use?
3 side-by-side pages set phentermine beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to phentermine
- 6 medicines for the same use
- Other sympathomimetic amine anorectics
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Phentermine side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other