Prescription medicine
Rizatriptan Brand names: Rizafilm, Maxalt, Maxalt-Mlt
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1998. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 22 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.335 per rizatriptan 10 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the rizatriptan FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 29, 2026); the NDA 20865 record on Drugs@FDA; every rizatriptan label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of January 29, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageMAXALT ® and MAXALT-MLT ® are indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults and in pediatric patients 6 to 17 years old.
Forms and strengths
- 5 mg
- 10 mg
Tablet; orally disintegrating tablet; film-coated tablet; film.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- June 29, 1998 Maxalt-Mlt, Organon; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 25 first December 31, 2012; 9 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 24 of which 22 under generic applications, 3 under brand applications, repackagers included
- Last listed patent
- July 30, 2034 Rizafilm film; not a generic launch date
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.335 per tablet Rizatriptan 10 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 9 since 2021 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest July 9, 2025
- FAERS reports
- 16,132 through July 30, 2026
What is rizatriptan used for?
From the label: indications and usageMAXALT ® and MAXALT-MLT ® are indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults and in pediatric patients 6 to 17 years old. Limitations of Use MAXALT should only be used where a clear diagnosis of migraine has been established. If a patient has no response for the first migraine attack treated with MAXALT, the diagnosis of migraine should be reconsidered before MAXALT is administered to treat any subsequent attacks. MAXALT is not indicated for use in the management of hemiplegic or basilar migraine [see Contraindications (4) ]. MAXALT is not indicated for the prevention of migraine attacks. […]
Conditions named in the indications of rizatriptan's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
FDA pharmacologic class: Serotonin-1b and Serotonin-1d Receptor Agonist.
Source: FDA drug label (MAXALT), Organon LLC, effective January 29, 2026 (SPL set 007b4644-e0e7-4863-9ae3-fe09676b3f5f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the patient leaflet for rizatriptan say first?
The FDA-approved Medication Guide or Patient Information that comes with the medicine, in its own words.
From the patient leaflet: What should I avoid while taking MAXALT?MAXALT may cause dizziness, weakness, or fainting. If you have these symptoms, do not drive a car, use machinery, or do anything that needs you to be alert.
From the patient leaflet: How should I store MAXALT?Store MAXALT at room temperature between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Safely throw away medicine that is out of date or no longer needed. Keep MAXALT and all medicines out of the reach of children. General Information about the safe and effective use of MAXALT. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use MAXALT for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give MAXALT to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them. This Patient Information leaflet summarizes the most important information about MAXALT. If you would like more information, talk to your doctor. You can ask your pharmacist or doctor for information about MAXALT that is written for health professionals.
Source: FDA drug label (MAXALT), Organon LLC, effective January 29, 2026 (SPL set 007b4644-e0e7-4863-9ae3-fe09676b3f5f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
The FDA approved the first generic rizatriptan on December 31, 2012. 25 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 rizatriptan from 22 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 3 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
The Orange Book lists no patent for Maxalt tablets; a patent listed only for Rizafilm film runs to July 30, 2034. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.
- 1998 earliest approval on file
- 2012 first generic approved
- 2034 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 rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.335 per Rizatriptan 10 mg tablet, down 34% from $0.511 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. Prices per unit in the table differ many-fold by strength, form and brand, so compare like with like. 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.
- Rizatriptan 10 mg tablet (generic)
- Maxalt mlt 10 mg tablet (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rizatriptan 10 mg ODT | Generic | $0.510 per unit | n/a | -9% |
| Rizatriptan 10 mg tablet | Generic | $0.335 per tablet | $10.06 | -34% |
| Rizatriptan 5 mg ODT | Generic | $0.545 per unit | n/a | -5% |
| Rizatriptan 5 mg tablet | Generic | $0.348 per tablet | $10.44 | -33% |
| Maxalt 10 mg tablet | Brand | $44.48 per tablet many times the lowest per-tablet cost; NADAC records the price, not why | $1,334.30 | +5% |
| Maxalt mlt 10 mg tablet | Brand | $44.21 per tablet many times the lowest per-tablet cost; NADAC records the price, not why | $1,326.42 | +5% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has rizatriptan been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 9 recalls naming rizatriptan since 2021: 0 Class I (the most serious), 6 Class II, 3 Class III; 6 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2025 | Class II | Ascend Laboratories, LLC | CGMP Deviations: detection of N-nitroso-dimethyl-rizatriptan impurity, above the FDA recommended acceptable intake limit. |
| May 13, 2024 | Class II | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA | CGMP Deviations: N-Nitroso Desmethyl Rizatriptan Impurity results that are above the FDA acceptable limit. |
| May 10, 2024 | Class II | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA | CGMP Deviations: N-Nitroso Desmethyl Rizatriptan Impurity results that are above the FDA acceptable limit. |
| October 18, 2021 | Class III | MACLEODS PHARMA USA, INC | Out-of-specification test results obtained in Organic Impurities test during analysis of controlled samples. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the rizatriptan label say about other medicines?
The rizatriptan label names 10 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 1 other medicine name rizatriptan. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dihydroergotamine | contraindications | Recent use (i.e., within 24 hours) of another 5-HT 1 agonist, ergotamine-containing medication, or ergot-type medication (such as dihydroergotamine or methysergide) [see Drug Interactions (7.2 and 7.3) ]. |
| Ergotamine | warnings and precautions | Overuse of acute migraine drugs (e.g., ergotamine, triptans, opioids, or a combination of drugs for 10 or more days per month) may lead to exacerbation of headache (medication overuse headache). |
| Isocarboxazid | drug interactions | Plasma concentrations of rizatriptan may be increased by drugs that are selective MAO-A inhibitors (e.g., moclobemide) or nonselective MAO inhibitors [type A and B] (e.g., isocarboxazid, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and pargyline). |
| Metoprolol | drug interactions | Nadolol/Metoprolol: In a drug interactions study, effects of multiple doses of nadolol 80 mg or metoprolol 100 mg every 12 hours on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of 10 mg rizatriptan were evaluated in healthy subjects (n=12). |
| Nadolol | drug interactions | Nadolol/Metoprolol: In a drug interactions study, effects of multiple doses of nadolol 80 mg or metoprolol 100 mg every 12 hours on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of 10 mg rizatriptan were evaluated in healthy subjects (n=12). |
| Norethindrone | drug interactions | Oral contraceptives: In a study of concurrent administration of an oral contraceptive during 6 days of administration of MAXALT (10-30 mg/day) in healthy female volunteers (n=18), rizatriptan did not affect plasma concentrations of ethinyl estradiol or norethindrone. |
| Paroxetine | drug interactions | In a study of the interaction between the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine 20 mg/day for two weeks and a single dose of MAXALT 10 mg in healthy subjects (n=12), neither the plasma concentrations of rizatriptan nor its safety profile were affected by paroxetine [see Warnings and Precautions … |
| Phenelzine | drug interactions | Plasma concentrations of rizatriptan may be increased by drugs that are selective MAO-A inhibitors (e.g., moclobemide) or nonselective MAO inhibitors [type A and B] (e.g., isocarboxazid, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and pargyline). |
| Propranolol | drug interactions | DRUG INTERACTIONS 7.1 Propranolol The dose of MAXALT should be adjusted in propranolol-treated patients, as propranolol has been shown to increase the plasma AUC of rizatriptan by 70% [see Dosage and Administration (2.4) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. |
| Tranylcypromine | drug interactions | Plasma concentrations of rizatriptan may be increased by drugs that are selective MAO-A inhibitors (e.g., moclobemide) or nonselective MAO inhibitors [type A and B] (e.g., isocarboxazid, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and pargyline). |
Source: FDA drug label (MAXALT), Organon LLC, effective January 29, 2026 (SPL set 007b4644-e0e7-4863-9ae3-fe09676b3f5f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for rizatriptan?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 16,132 reports that list rizatriptan among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 328 are coded as a death and 3,300 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 rizatriptan?
11 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as rizatriptan or labeled mainly for the same use (migraine), the same class first. Migraine lists all 27 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 (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumatriptan | Migraine | 22 labelers | $0.302 per tablet 50 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Zolmitriptan | Migraine | 18 labelers | $1.02 per tablet 2.5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Eletriptan | Migraine | 10 labelers | $1.75 per tablet 40 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Naratriptan | Migraine | 4 labelers | $1.08 per tablet 2.5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Almotriptan | Migraine | 3 labelers | $16.86 per tablet 12.5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Naproxen and sumatriptan | Migraine | 3 labelers | $10.46 per unit 85-500 mg | No current entry |
| Frovatriptan | Migraine | 4 labelers | $2.72 per tablet 2.5 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Ubrogepant | Migraine | none listed | $109.11 per tablet 100 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as rizatriptan
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does rizatriptan compare with medicines for the same use?
3 side-by-side pages set rizatriptan beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to rizatriptan
- 11 medicines for the same use
- Other triptans
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Rizatriptan side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other