This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.
Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP is indicated for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in adults, adolescents, and children 6 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease. Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP is a beta 2 -adrenergic agonist indicated for: Treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in adults, adolescents, and children 6 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease. ( 1 )
Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to levalbuterol or racemic albuterol. Reactions have included urticaria, angioedema, rash, bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, and oropharyngeal edema [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ]. Hypersensitivity to levalbuterol or racemic albuterol. ( 4 )
Life-threatening paradoxical bronchospasm may occur. Discontinue Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP immediately and treat with alternative therapy. ( 5.1 ) Need for more doses of Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP than usual may be a sign of deterioration of asthma and requires reevaluation of treatment. ( 5.2 ) Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP is not a substitute for corticosteroids. ( 5.3 ) Cardiovascular effects may occur. Consider discontinuation of Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP if these effects occur. Use with caution in patients with underlying cardiovascular disorders. ( 5.4 ) Excessive use may be fatal. Do not exceed recommended dose. ( 5.5 ) Immediate hypersensitivity reactions may occur. Discontinue Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP immediately. ( 5.6 ) Hypokalemia and changes in blood glucose may occur. ( 5.7 , 5.8 ) 5.1 Paradoxical Bronchospasm Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP can produce paradoxical bronchospasm, which may be life-threatening. If paradoxical bronchospasm occurs, Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP should be discontinued immediately and alternative therapy instituted. It should be recognized that paradoxical bronchospasm, w...
The following serious adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling: Paradoxical bronchospasm [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Cardiovascular effects [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Immediate hypersensitivity reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Hypokalemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Most common adverse reactions are: palpitations, chest pain, tachycardia, headache, dizziness, tremor and nervousness. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Ritedose Pharmaceuticals, LLC at 1-855-806-3300 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of the drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adults and Adolescents 12 Years of Age and Older Adverse reaction information concerning Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP in adults and adolescents is derived from one 4-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-, and placebo-controlled trial in 362 patients with asthma 12 y...
Recent Major Changes to the Dosage and Administration Section Levalbuterol Inhalation Solution, USP is for oral inhalation only. Administer by nebulization using with a standard jet nebulizer (with a face mask or mouthpiece) connected to an air compressor. Do not exceed recommended dose. (Added the word "with" to read "Administer by nebulization using with a standard jet nebulizer...") 2. Dosage and Administration Updated February 2020
Source: FDA SPL label for Levalbuterol (Redpharm Drug), effective 20260717. Full label on DailyMed.
These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,215 | 1,200 | 665 | 725 | 821 | 1,053 | 1,110 | 605 |
9,571 reports blaming this drug for every million Medicare prescriptions filled, which is 3.5× the typical drug on this site. (2,765 reports in 2024–2026, against 288,881 Medicare fills in one year. This is the one number here that accounts for how many people take the drug.)
Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.
| Date | Class | Firm | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/2022 | Class II | Mckesson Medical-Surgical Inc. Corporate Office | cGMP deviations: Temperature abuse |
| 03/2021 | Class II | Cardinal Health Inc. | CGMP Deviations: Intermittent exposure to temperature excursion during storage. |
Class I = reasonable probability of serious harm. Class II = temporary or reversible harm. Class III = unlikely to harm. Most generic recalls are manufacturing or labeling defects for one lot, not a verdict on the molecule.
Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.
In 2024, drug companies reported $0 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 0 transactions.
No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.
Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.
Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.
| Product | Fills | $/fill |
|---|---|---|
| Levalbuterol Tartrate HFA | 251,600 | $65 |
| Levalbuterol HCl | 21,694 | $81 |
| Xopenex HFA | 15,310 | $98 |
| Levalbuterol Concentrate | 277 | $177 |
No same-class alternatives found in RxClass.