FDA label reference
What the FDA label actually says, without the sales pitch
HealthyStudy takes the prescribing information that manufacturers filed with the US Food and Drug Administration and lays it out so it can be read. Approved uses, strengths, warnings and contraindications, each one linked back to the document it came from.
We do not sell anything, we do not link to sellers of prescription medication, and we do not tell anyone what to take.
The catalogue in numbers
- 25
- medications
- 39
- FDA labels read
- 23
- side by side comparisons
- 0
- links to sellers
Start with a comparison
Labels exist for every medication. What does not exist is a straight answer to how two of them differ. These pages put the two labels side by side and stop short of saying which is better, because the labels do not say that either.
- 01Ozempic vs WegovyOzempic and Wegovy both contain semaglutide but hold separate FDA approvals with different indications and maximum doses. Compared straight from both labels.Read comparison
- 02Rybelsus vs OzempicRybelsus is semaglutide taken as a daily tablet, Ozempic is semaglutide injected weekly. Both are approved for type 2 diabetes and neither for weight loss. From both FDA labels.Read comparison
- 03Mounjaro vs ZepboundMounjaro and Zepbound are both tirzepatide from the same manufacturer, approved for different conditions. What each FDA label covers, side by side.Read comparison
- 04Wegovy vs ZepboundWegovy and Zepbound are both approved by the FDA for chronic weight management but contain different active ingredients. What each label states, compared directly.Read comparison
- 05Contrave vs QsymiaContrave and Qsymia are oral combination medications approved for chronic weight management. What each FDA label covers, including their different warnings.Read comparison
- 06Finasteride vs minoxidilFinasteride and topical minoxidil are the only two ingredients approved by the FDA for pattern hair loss. What each label covers, who it covers and how it is used.Read comparison
- 07Propecia vs ProscarPropecia and Proscar are both finasteride, at 1 mg and 5 mg. One is approved for male pattern hair loss, the other for an enlarged prostate. Compared straight from both FDA labels.Read comparison
- 08Finasteride vs dutasterideFinasteride is FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss. Dutasteride is not approved for hair loss in the United States. What each label covers and how the two differ.Read comparison
- 09Mounjaro vs OzempicMounjaro and Ozempic contain different active ingredients and are both approved for type 2 diabetes. Neither label lists weight loss. Compared straight from both documents.Read comparison
- 10Saxenda vs VictozaSaxenda and Victoza both contain liraglutide and hold separate FDA approvals for different conditions, with different maximum doses. Compared straight from both labels.Read comparison
- 11Xenical vs AlliXenical and Alli both contain orlistat at different strengths, one on prescription and one over the counter. What each FDA label covers, compared directly.Read comparison
- 12Phentermine vs QsymiaPhentermine alone is approved for a few weeks of use. Qsymia contains phentermine with topiramate and is approved for long term weight maintenance. Compared from both labels.Read comparison
- 13Retin-A vs RenovaRetin-A Micro and Renova are both tretinoin, approved by the FDA for different things. What each label covers, and what the Renova label says it does not do.Read comparison
- 14Oracea vs ordinary doxycyclineOracea is a 40 mg doxycycline approved for rosacea. Ordinary doxycycline is an antibiotic. What each FDA label covers, and what Oracea says it must not be used for.Read comparison
- 15Tretinoin vs adapaleneTretinoin and adapalene are both retinoids approved for acne, but one needs a prescription and the other does not. What each FDA label covers and how they are used.Read comparison
- 16Metronidazole vs ivermectin for rosaceaTopical metronidazole and ivermectin are both approved for the inflammatory lesions of rosacea. What each FDA label covers and what neither of them explains.Read comparison
- 17Isotretinoin vs tretinoinBoth are forms of vitamin A approved for acne, one swallowed and one applied to the skin. The labels describe different severities, different courses and very different warnings.Read comparison
- 18Clindamycin with benzoyl peroxide vs adapaleneOne is a prescription gel containing an antibiotic, the other an over the counter retinoid. What each FDA label covers, including a contraindication that surprises people.Read comparison
- 19Oracea vs SoolantraBoth are approved for the inflammatory lesions of rosacea, one a capsule and one a cream. Neither label covers the redness. Compared straight from both documents.Read comparison
- 20Nexium vs Nexium 24HRNexium and Nexium 24HR are both esomeprazole. One is a prescription medicine for reflux disease and ulcers, the other a 14-day course sold over the counter. From both FDA labels.Read comparison
- 21Prilosec OTC vs Nexium 24HRPrilosec OTC is omeprazole, Nexium 24HR is esomeprazole. Both are 20 mg, once daily, for 14 days. What the FDA labels say about the difference, and what they do not.Read comparison
- 22Pepcid AC vs Prilosec OTCPepcid AC is famotidine, Prilosec OTC is omeprazole. One label allows taking it before a meal to prevent heartburn, the other describes a 14-day course. Straight from both.Read comparison
- 23Protonix vs omeprazoleProtonix is pantoprazole, prescription only. Omeprazole is prescription and also sold over the counter. What each FDA label approves, and where the lists diverge.Read comparison
Browse by problem
Each category lists what the FDA approved for that use and, separately, what people ask about that it never approved. The difference is stated at the top of every page, not in a footnote.
Weight loss
Weight loss medications and what the FDA label actually says
8 medications9 comparisons
Hair loss
Hair loss medications and what the FDA label actually says
5 medications3 comparisons
Skin
Acne and rosacea medications, and what the FDA label actually says
7 medications7 comparisons
Heartburn
Heartburn medications and what the FDA label actually says
5 medications4 comparisons
Where this comes from
Facts belong to the regulator. Explanations and comparisons are written by us and marked as ours on the page. Nothing here is written by an anonymous medical reviewer who does not exist.
How we source and what we refuse to publish- 01FetchThe label the manufacturer filed, through openFDA and DailyMed, both published by the US National Library of Medicine.
- 02ExtractApproved uses, strengths, dosing, warnings, contraindications and interactions, taken section by section rather than retyped.
- 03PublishWith the label version, its effective date and a link to the source document on every page it was used on.