Prescription medicine
Pentamidine isethionate Brand names: Nebupent, Pentam
Pentamidine isethionate (Pentam) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1984. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 3 generic labelers.
- Generic listed
- A presentation discontinued
Check it at the source: the pentamidine isethionate FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 13, 2022, Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC); the NDA 19264 record on Drugs@FDA; every pentamidine isethionate label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of September 13, 2022; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePentam 300 (pentamidine isethionate for injection) is indicated for the treatment of pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii.
Forms and strengths
- 300 mg
- 300 mg/6ml
- 300 mg/3ml
Inhalant; injection (powder) (lyophilized) for solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 16, 1984 Pentam, Fresenius Kabi Usa; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 8 first June 30, 1992; 4 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 4 of which 3 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- None current 1 past records
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 1,232 through July 30, 2026
What is pentamidine isethionate used for?
From the label: indications and usagePentam 300 (pentamidine isethionate for injection) is indicated for the treatment of pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii.
FDA pharmacologic class: Antiprotozoal.
Source: FDA drug label (Pentam 300), Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC, effective September 13, 2022 (SPL set cc2b635e-4840-4dc3-a177-5484371680e8), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for pentamidine isethionate (Pentam)?
The FDA approved the first generic pentamidine isethionate on June 30, 1992. 8 generic applications are approved; 4 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 pentamidine isethionate from 3 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
- 1992 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Is pentamidine isethionate in shortage?
No pentamidine isethionate presentation is listed as in shortage in the FDA Drug Shortage Database (read October 8, 2026); its 1 record is all marked to be discontinued, the latest updated March 23, 2026. ASHP keeps a separate shortage list, which can differ.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pentamidine Isethionate, Injection, 300 mg/3 mL (NDC 39822-3050-2) | XGen Pharmaceuticals DJB, Inc. | To Be Discontinued | March 23, 2026 |
Every pentamidine isethionate presentation in the FDA shortage database
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
What does the pentamidine isethionate label say about other medicines?
The pentamidine isethionate label names no other medicine on this site. The labels of 1 other medicine name pentamidine isethionate. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
Other labels that name pentamidine isethionate
Source: FDA drug label (Pentam 300), Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC, effective September 13, 2022 (SPL set cc2b635e-4840-4dc3-a177-5484371680e8), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for pentamidine isethionate?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 1,232 reports that list pentamidine isethionate among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 219 are coded as a death and 606 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?
- Other antiprotozoals
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Pentamidine isethionate side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Pentamidine isethionate shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other