Prescription medicine
Vancomycin Brand names: Tyzavan, Firvanq; first approved as Vancocin Hydrochloride
Vancomycin (Vancocin Hydrochloride) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1986. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 31 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $1.33 per vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- A presentation discontinued
Check it at the source: the vancomycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 7, 2024, Mylan Institutional LLC); the NDA 50606 record on Drugs@FDA; every vancomycin label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of June 7, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageVancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection is a glycopeptide antibacterial indicated in adult and pediatric patients (neonates and older) for the treatment of:
Septicemia ( 1.1 )
Infective Endocarditis ( 1.2 )
Skin and Skin Structure Infections ( 1.3 )
Bone Infections ( 1.4 )
Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ( 1.5 ) To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Vancomy
Forms and strengths
- 1 g
- 1.25 g
- 1.5 g
- 5 g
- 10 g
- 125 mg
- 250 mg
- 500 mg
- 750 mg
- 1 g/20ml
- 1 g/200ml
- 1.25 g/25ml
Injection (powder) (lyophilized) for solution; injection (solution); capsule; injection (powder) for solution; kit.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 15, 1986 Vancocin Hydrochloride, Ani Pharms; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 59 first November 6, 1964; 36 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 37 of which 31 under generic applications, 8 under brand applications, repackagers included
- Last listed patent
- November 6, 2035 Vancomycin injection; not a generic launch date
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $1.33 per capsule Vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule
- Shortage (FDA)
- None current 1 past records
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 49 since 2012 11 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest August 6, 2026; 47 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 65,529 through July 30, 2026
What is vancomycin used for?
From the label: indications and usageVancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection is a glycopeptide antibacterial indicated in adult and pediatric patients (neonates and older) for the treatment of:
Septicemia ( 1.1 )
Infective Endocarditis ( 1.2 )
Skin and Skin Structure Infections ( 1.3 )
Bone Infections ( 1.4 )
Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ( 1.5 ) To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection and other antibacterial drugs, Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. […]
Conditions named in the indications of vancomycin's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other vancomycin labelsBacterial infections: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection, USP is indicated for the treatment of serious or severe infections caused by susceptible strains of methicillin-resistant (β-lactam-resistant) staphylococci.
Diarrhea: Vancomycin hydrochloride for oral solution is indicated for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and pediatric patients less than 18 years of age.
FDA pharmacologic class: Glycopeptide Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Vancomycin Hydrochloride), Mylan Institutional LLC, effective June 7, 2024 (SPL set caf22ccb-df75-45ea-a1d0-ccb2d37272fb), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for vancomycin (Vancocin Hydrochloride)?
The FDA approved the first generic vancomycin on November 6, 1964. 59 generic applications are approved; 36 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 vancomycin from 31 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 8 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 Vancocin Hydrochloride capsules; a patent listed only for Vancomycin injection runs to November 6, 2035. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.
- 1986 earliest approval on file
- 1964 first generic approved
- 2035 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 vancomycin (Vancocin Hydrochloride)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $1.33 per Vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule, up 4% from $1.28 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.
- Vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule (generic)
- Firvanq 50 mg/mL solution (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancomycin 25 mg/mL oral solution | Generic | $0.531 per mL | n/a | +33% |
| Vancomycin 250 mg/5 mL oral solution | Generic | $0.801 per mL | n/a | -52% |
| Vancomycin 50 mg/mL oral solution | Generic | $0.751 per mL | n/a | +17% |
| Vancomycin 500 mg vial | Generic | $2.31 per vial | n/a | -2% |
| Vancomycin HCl 125 mg capsule | Generic | $1.33 per capsule | $39.87 | +4% |
| Vancomycin HCl 250 mg capsule | Generic | $2.60 per capsule | $77.93 | +32% |
| Firvanq 50 mg/mL solution | Brand | $1.19 per mL | n/a | +3% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Is vancomycin in shortage?
No vancomycin 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 November 14, 2025. ASHP keeps a separate shortage list, which can differ.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancomycin Hydrochloride, Injection, 10 g Vial NovaPlus (NDC 0409-5017-01) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | To Be Discontinued | November 14, 2025 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
Has vancomycin been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 96 recalls naming vancomycin since 2012: 11 Class I (the most serious), 84 Class II, 1 Class III; 16 still ongoing. 47 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of vancomycin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 6, 2026 | Class II | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | CGMP Deviations |
| March 20, 2026 | Class II | Fagron Compounding Services | Lack of Assurance of Sterility; blue Break-Off-Part could detach from the administration port |
| February 5, 2026 | Class II | Fresenius Kabi Compounding, LLC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| September 25, 2024 | Class II | Fresenius Kabi Compounding, LLC | cGMP violations |
| March 21, 2024 | Class I | Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York, LLC | Superpotent Drug: Due to overfilling of drug powder |
| November 9, 2023 | Class II | SCA Pharmaceuticals, LLC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| October 2, 2023 | Class II | Pine Pharmaceuticals, LLC not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| July 14, 2023 | Class II | Central Admixture Pharmacy Services, Inc. not a listed maker | Lack of assurance of sterility. Validation data for decontamination cycles is lacking. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the vancomycin label say about other medicines?
The vancomycin label names 1 other medicine in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 13 other medicines name vancomycin. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Piperacillin and tazobactam | drug interactions | Piperacillin/Tazobactam: Increased incidence of acute kidney injury in patients receiving concomitant piperacillin/tazobactam and vancomycin as compared to vancomycin alone. Monitor kidney function in patients |
Other labels that name vancomycin
Source: FDA drug label (Vancomycin Hydrochloride), Mylan Institutional LLC, effective June 7, 2024 (SPL set caf22ccb-df75-45ea-a1d0-ccb2d37272fb), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for vancomycin?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 65,529 reports that list vancomycin among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 12,915 are coded as a death and 34,805 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 vancomycin?
20 other medicines are given the same way (intravenous) and in the same FDA class as vancomycin 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. 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 (intravenous) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piperacillin and tazobactam | Bacterial infections | 15 labelers | $3.49 per vial 3.375 g vial | A presentation being discontinued |
| Levofloxacin | Bacterial infections | 8 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Clindamycin | Bacterial infections | 6 labelers | n/a | In shortage |
| Ampicillin | Bacterial infections | 11 labelers | n/a | A presentation being discontinued |
| Linezolid | Bacterial infections | 9 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Cefoxitin | Bacterial infections | 5 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Ampicillin and sulbactam | Bacterial infections | 7 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Azithromycin | Bacterial infections | 7 labelers | n/a | A presentation being discontinued |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does vancomycin compare with medicines for the same use?
11 side-by-side pages set vancomycin beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Vancomycin side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Vancomycin shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other