Quick answers
- What is Pentosan polysulfate sodium used for?
- The FDA-approved label (Elmiron, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., September 18, 2024) says: “ELMIRON ® (pentosan polysulfate sodium) is indicated for the relief of bladder pain or discomfort associated with interstitial cystitis.” This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
- Does Pentosan polysulfate sodium have a boxed warning?
- No. None of the 1 FDA labels we found for this medicine has a boxed warning.
- Is there a shortage of Pentosan polysulfate sodium?
- No current shortage is listed by the FDA for the products of this medicine (FDA data from October 30, 2026).
- Has Pentosan polysulfate sodium been recalled?
- No recall linked to the products of this medicine appears in the FDA enforcement reports we use.
- Who makes Pentosan polysulfate sodium?
- 1 company lists prescription products of Pentosan polysulfate sodium in the FDA NDC Directory, including Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc..
What Pentosan polysulfate sodium is used for
Quoted from the “Indications and Usage” section of the FDA-approved label.
ELMIRON ® (pentosan polysulfate sodium) is indicated for the relief of bladder pain or discomfort associated with interstitial cystitis.
— FDA label: Elmiron, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective September 18, 2024. Read the full label on DailyMed →
This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
Boxed warning
A boxed warning (“black box”) is the FDA’s strongest warning on a drug label, for serious or life-threatening risks.
The label quoted above has no boxed warning.
Forms and how it is given
| Dosage forms | Capsule, gelatin coated |
|---|---|
| Route | Oral |
| Prescription products | 1 in the FDA NDC Directory |
| Brand names | Elmiron |
What pharmacies pay (NADAC)
The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) is the average price U.S. retail pharmacies paid to buy one unit of a medicine (one tablet, one mL or one gram), from a monthly survey of pharmacy invoices by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). State Medicaid programs use it to pay pharmacies.
This is not the price you pay. What you pay depends on your insurance (copay or coinsurance), your pharmacy and any discounts, and pharmacies also charge for filling a prescription. Ask your pharmacist or your health plan what your price will be.
| Strength and form | Generic or brand | Pharmacies pay |
|---|---|---|
| pentosan polysulfate sodium 100 mg capsule, gelatin coated | Brand: Elmiron | $12.09 per capsule |
NADAC list of November 4, 2026; these prices took effect on October 21, 2026. Shown only where a package’s NDC code matches the NADAC list exactly, and only for that exact strength and form: nothing is averaged across strengths. Strengths and forms not listed here have no NADAC price.
Source: NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026, data.medicaid.gov (CMS) →
Companies that list this medicine
Labelers in the FDA NDC Directory: the company named on the package (maker or distributor), with the number of prescription products.
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.1 product
FDA approval history
- NDA: New Drug Application: how a new (usually brand-name) medicine is approved.
| Application | Sponsor | Approved | Later changes approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDA020193 ELMIRON | Janssen Pharms | September 26, 1996 | 7, latest March 12, 2021 2021: Labeling · 2020: Labeling · 2008: Labeling |
Shortage status
The FDA drug shortage list does not show these products.
Recalls
No recall linked to these products (by their NDC code) appears in the FDA enforcement reports.
Official identifiers
| RxCUI (RxNorm) | 199498, 211140 |
|---|---|
| SPL set ID of the quoted label | f0ba651e-3d8a-11df-8fbe-119855d89593 |
| FDA labels (SPL) | 1 |
| FDA applications | NDA020193 |
| Active ingredients (FDA) | PENTOSAN POLYSULFATE |
Sources
- FDA-approved label on DailyMed (National Library of Medicine) — Elmiron, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective September 18, 2024; via openFDA, FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- NDC Directory (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drugs@FDA (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug recall enforcement reports (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 27, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug shortages (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
openFDA data is provided by the FDA as is; it may be incomplete. Always rely on the label that comes with your medicine. FDA Enforcement Report search →