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Flunisolide

Prescription ANDA TE AB Official labelling
Informational index, not medical advice. Content is reproduced from public FDA and NLM data. Always confirm against the manufacturer's current prescribing information. Report adverse events to FDA MedWatch.

Overview

Brand name
Flunisolide
Generic name
Flunisolide
Dosage form
Solution
Route
Nasal
Marketing category
ANDA · ANDA
Labeler
Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
Product type
Human Prescription Drug
DEA schedule
Not scheduled
Active ingredients
1
NDC product codes
3
Packages
3
Data completeness
77% of corroborating sources present

Active ingredients

Source: NDC Directory
Active ingredients and strengths as listed in the NDC Directory.
Ingredient Strength RxCUI Monograph
Flunisolide .25 mg/mL 1797863 —

Forms, strengths and routes

Source: NDC Directory
Dosage form
Solution
Route of administration
Nasal
Presentations
6

Pharmacologic classes are listed in the class section below.

Pharmacologic class

Source: NDC Directory
Established pharmacologic classes (EPC), mechanisms of action (MoA), chemical structures (CS) and physiologic effects (PE).
Class Type Browse
Corticosteroid Hormone Receptor Agonists [MoA] MoA All 215 members
Corticosteroid [EPC] EPC All 215 members

Regulatory status

Source: Drugs@FDANDC Directory
Application number
074805
Application type
ANDA · Abbreviated New Drug Application
Approval date
February 20, 2002
Sponsor
BAUSCH
Products on application
1
Submissions recorded
3
Products approved under application 074805.
Product Trade name Form Strength Ingredient Status TE Flags
074805-001 FLUNISOLIDE SPRAY, METERED FLUNISOLIDE Prescription AB RS

Therapeutic equivalence

Source: Orange Book
TE code
AB
Reference Listed Drug
No
Reference Standard
Yes

What this rating means: Therapeutically equivalent — bioequivalence demonstrated by in vivo or in vitro testing

Codes beginning with “A” indicate products the FDA considers therapeutically equivalent. Codes beginning with “B” indicate bioequivalence has not been established. See methodology.

Approval history

Source: Drugs@FDA
Most recent submissions on application 074805.
Type No. Action Status Date Review
Supplement 22 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved December 12, 2024 Unknown
Supplement 3 Labeling Approved May 18, 2004 —
Original application 1 Approved February 20, 2002 —

Review documents

  • 0 · Original application · April 9, 2003

Prescribing information

Source: openFDA Drug Labeling

Reproduced verbatim from the Structured Product Labeling submitted to the FDA (effective 20250502). This is the manufacturer's labelling text, not a summary and not advice.

HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG · 20250502 HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG · 20250430 HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG · 20250116

Indications and Usage

openFDA Drug Labeling

INDICATIONS AND USAGE Flunisolide nasal solution is indicated for the treatment of the nasal symptoms of seasonal or perennial rhinitis. Flunisolide nasal solution should not be used in the presence of untreated localized infection involving nasal mucosa.

Dosage and Administration

openFDA Drug Labeling

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Adults: The recommended starting dose of Flunisolide Nasal Solution is 2 sprays (50 mcg) in each nostril 2 times a day (total dose 200 mcg/day). If needed, this dose may be increased to 2 sprays in each nostril 3 times a day (total dose 300 mcg/day). Pediatric Patients 6 to 14 years: The recommended starting dose of Flunisolide Nasal Solution is 1 spray (25 mcg) in each nostril 3 times a day or 2 sprays (50 mcg) in each nostril 2 times a day (total dose 150 to 200 mcg/day). Flunisolide Nasal Solution is not recommended for use in pediatric patients less than 6 years of age as safety and efficacy studies, including possible adverse effects on growth, have not been conducted. Maximum total daily doses should not exceed 8 sprays in each nostril for adults (total dose 400 mcg/day) and 4 sprays in each nostril for pediatric patients under 14 years of age (total dose 200 mcg/day). Since there is no evidence that exceeding the maximum recommended dosage is more effective and increased systemic absorption would occur, higher doses should be avoided. After the desired clinical effect is obtained, the maintenance dose should be reduced to the smallest amount necessary to control the symptoms. Approximately 15% of patients with perennial rhinitis may be maintained on as little as 1 spray in each nostril per day. For priming and repriming the nasal spray unit after storage: The patient should remove the dust cover. Put two fingers on “shoulders” of pump unit, and place thumb on bottom of bottle. Push bottle with thumb FIRMLY and QUICKLY 5-6 times or until fine spray appears. Now your pump is primed. The patient must prime the pump unit again if it has not been used for 5 days or more, or if it has been disassembled for cleaning. Directions for Use: A patient leaflet of instructions accompanies each package of Flunisolide Nasal Solution. WARNING: Do not spray in eyes.

Contraindications

openFDA Drug Labeling

CONTRAINDICATIONS Hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients.

WARNINGS The replacement of a systemic corticosteroid with a topical corticoid can be accompanied by signs of adrenal insufficiency, and in addition some patients may experience symptoms of withdrawal, e.g., joint and/or muscular pain, lassitude and/or depression. Patients previously treated for prolonged periods with systemic corticosteroids and transferred to flunisolide should be carefully monitored to avoid acute adrenal insufficiency in response to stress. When transferred to flunisolide, careful attention must be given to patients previously treated for prolonged periods with systemic corticosteroids. This is particularly important in those patients who have associated asthma or other clinical conditions, where too rapid a decrease in systemic corticosteroids may cause a severe exacerbation of their symptoms. The use of flunisolide with alternate-day prednisone systemic treatment could increase the likelihood of HPA suppression compared to a therapeutic dose of either one alone. Therefore, flunisolide treatment should be used with caution in patients already on alternate-day prednisone regimens for any disease. Persons who are on drugs that suppress the immune system are more susceptible to infections than healthy individuals. Chicken pox and measles, for example, can have a more serious or even fatal course in non-immune pediatric patients or adults on corticosteroids. In such pediatric patients or adults who have not had these diseases, particular care should be taken to avoid exposure. How the dose, route and duration of corticosteroid administration affects the risk of developing a disseminated infection is not known. The contribution of the underlying disease and/or prior corticosteroid treatment to the risk is also not known. If a nonimmune patient is exposed to chickenpox, prophylaxis with varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG) may be indicated. If exposed to measles, prophylaxis with pooled intramuscular immunoglobulin (IG) may be indicated. (See the respective package insert for complete VZIG and IG prescribing information.) If chickenpox develops, treatment with antiviral agents may be considered.

Adverse Reactions

openFDA Drug Labeling

ADVERSE REACTIONS Adverse reactions reported in controlled clinical trials and long-term open studies in 595 patients treated with flunisolide nasal solution are described below. Of these patients, 409 were treated for 3 months or longer, 323 for 6 months or longer, 259 for 1 year or longer, and 91 for 2 years or longer. In general, side effects elicited in the clinical studies have been primarily associated with the nasal mucous membranes. The most frequent complaints were those of mild transient nasal burning and stinging, which were reported in approximately 45% of the patients treated with flunisolide nasal solution in placebo-controlled and long-term studies. These complaints do not usually interfere with treatment; in only 3% of patients was it necessary to decrease dosage or stop treatment because of these symptoms. Approximately the same incidence of mild transient nasal burning and stinging was reported in patients on placebo as was reported in patients treated with flunisolide nasal solution in controlled studies, implying that these complaints may be related to the vehicle or the delivery system. The incidence of complaints of nasal burning and stinging decreased with increasing duration of treatment. Other side effects reported at a frequency of 5% or less were: nasal congestion, sneezing, epistaxis and/or bloody mucous, nasal irritation, watery eyes, sore throat, nausea and/or vomiting, and headaches. As with other nasally inhaled corticosteroids, nasal septal perforations have been reported in rare instances with the use of flunisolide nasal solutions. Temporary or permanent loss of the sense of smell and taste have also been reported with the use of flunisolide nasal solutions. Systemic corticosteroid side effects were not reported during the controlled clinical trials. If recommended doses are exceeded, or if individuals are particularly sensitive, symptoms of hypercorticism, i.e., Cushing’s syndrome, could occur. Cases of growth suppression have been reported for intranasal corticosteroids (including flunisolide nasal solution) ( see PRECAUTIONS, Pediatric Use ) . To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC at 1-877-748-1970 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Description

openFDA Drug Labeling

DESCRIPTION Flunisolide Nasal Solution USP, 0.025% is intended for administration as a spray to the nasal mucosa. Flunisolide, the active component of flunisolide nasal solution, is an anti-inflammatory steroid. Flunisolide is represented by the following structural formula: C 24 H 31 FO 6 Mol. Wt. 434.51 Chemical Name: 6α-fluoro-11β, 16α,17,21-tetrahydroxypregna-1,4-di-ene-3,20-dione cyclic 16,17-acetal with acetone (USAN). Flunisolide is a white to creamy white crystalline powder. It is soluble in acetone, sparingly soluble in chloroform, slightly soluble in methanol, and practically insoluble in water. It has a melting point of about 245°C. After initial priming (5 to 6 sprays), each spray of the unit delivers a metered droplet spray of 100 mg formulation containing 25 mcg of flunisolide. The size of the droplets produced by the unit is in excess of 8 microns to facilitate deposition on the nasal mucosa. The contents of one nasal spray bottle delivers 200 sprays. Each 25 mL flunisolide nasal solution spray bottle contains 6.25 mg (0.25 mg/mL). Each mL Contains: ACTIVE : Flunisolide 0.25 mg (0.025%); INACTIVES : Propylene Glycol, Polyethylene Glycol 3350, Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Edetate Disodium, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, and Purified Water. Sodium Hydroxide and/or Hydrochloric Acid may be added to adjust pH (5.1 – 5.4). PRESERVATIVE : Benzalkonium Chloride 0.01%. Flunisolide (Structural formula)

OVERDOSAGE Flunisolide, infused intravenously, at doses up to 4 mg/kg in mice, rats and dogs (approximately 45, 300 and 90 times, respectively, the maximum recommended daily intranasal dose in adults and children on a mg/m 2 basis) was without lethality.

How Supplied / Storage and Handling

openFDA Drug Labeling

HOW SUPPLIED Flunisolide Nasal Solution USP, 0.025% is supplied in a nasal pump dispenser with dust cover and with patient instructions in the following size: NDC 68682-344-25 25 mL bottle Each 25 mL Flunisolide Nasal Solution spray bottle contains 6.25 mg (0.25 mg/mL), 200 metered sprays of flunisolide. Storage: Store between 15°C to 25oC (59°F to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Keep out of reach of children Distributed by: Oceanside Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC Bridgewater, NJ 08807 USA Manufactured by: Bausch Health Companies Inc. Laval, Quebec H7L 4A8, Canada © 2025 Bausch Health Companies Inc. or its affiliates Revised: 05/2025 90006200

Adverse event reports

Source: openFDA FAERS
1,488
FAERS reports mentioning this drug
as of 2026-09-25T03:42:24+00:00
A report count is not a risk measure. FAERS accepts voluntary and mandatory reports without establishing causation, and reporting is influenced by how widely a drug is used, how long it has been marketed, and media attention. FDA states that reports “do not prove that the drug caused the event”. Compare rates, not totals.

Attributed to this product's most-reported active ingredient: FLUNISOLIDE. Combination products with more than six active ingredients are not attributed, because a report count summed across a long ingredient list measures the list, not the medicine.

Recalls

Source: FDA Enforcement
Drug recall enforcement reports associated with this product.
Classification Reported Firm Reason Status
Class II October 26, 2022 Ingenus Pharmaceuticals Llc Out of specification for related substances (impurities). Completed

Packaging and NDCs

Source: NDC Directory
Every National Drug Code package associated with this medication. The NDC is the identifier used for dispensing, billing and pharmacovigilance in the United States.
Package NDC Product NDC Labeler Description Marketing start
24208-344-25 24208-344 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated 1 BOTTLE, PUMP in 1 CARTON (24208-344-25) / 25 mL in 1 BOTTLE, PUMP February 20, 2002
50742-317-25 50742-317 Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC 1 BOTTLE, PUMP in 1 CARTON (50742-317-25) / 25 mL in 1 BOTTLE, PUMP June 23, 2022
68682-344-25 68682-344 Oceanside Pharmaceuticals 1 BOTTLE, PUMP in 1 CARTON (68682-344-25) / 25 mL in 1 BOTTLE, PUMP June 1, 2025
24208-344 24208-344 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated — February 20, 2002
50742-317 50742-317 Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC — June 23, 2022
68682-344 68682-344 Oceanside Pharmaceuticals — June 1, 2025

Sources for this page

Every dataset that contributed a fact to this page.
Dataset Agency Used for
NDC Directory FDA Identity, ingredients, strengths, forms, routes, labelers, packages
Drugs@FDA FDA Application, sponsor, submissions, review documents, marketing status
Orange Book FDA Therapeutic equivalence codes, reference drug flags, patents, exclusivity
Drug Labeling FDA / NLM Prescribing information reproduced above
FAERS FDA Adverse event report counts
Enforcement FDA Recall records

Generated September 25, 2026 · 12 sections on this page.