Telmisartan
Telmisartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) used to treat high blood pressure and to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in certain high-risk adults who can't take ACE inhibitors.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 47 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Telmisartan is an ARB (angiotensin II receptor blocker) that relaxes blood vessels by blocking a hormone that tightens them and makes the body hold salt; a common first choice for high blood pressure, used since about 2000 and available as a generic, it also lowers heart attack and stroke risk in high-risk adults unable to take ACE inhibitors. Most people tolerate it well, with little of the dry cough ACE inhibitors cause; some feel lightheaded at first or notice back pain or sinus congestion. Its boxed warning covers injury or death to a developing baby, so stop it and call your prescriber the moment you learn you're pregnant.
Clinical pearls
- Take it once daily with or without food, and stand up slowly at first, especially if you also take a water pill.
- Skip potassium supplements and potassium-based salt substitutes unless your prescriber approves, since telmisartan can push potassium too high.
- Regular ibuprofen or other NSAID pain relievers can weaken its effect and strain your kidneys, more so when you are dehydrated.
- If you take lithium or digoxin, expect extra blood level checks after starting telmisartan, since both can build up.
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
Telmisartan can cause injury and death to a developing baby. Stop it as soon as pregnancy is detected.
Medicines like this one act on the renin-angiotensin system. Taking them in the second and third trimesters can reduce the baby's kidney function and cause low amniotic fluid, underdeveloped lungs, skull and skeletal problems, kidney failure, and death. If you could become pregnant, talk to your doctor about this before starting, and call them right away if you find out you're pregnant.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Telmisartan, written from its FDA label.
What Telmisartan is used for
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Telmisartan is used for these conditions, and both Micardis and generic telmisartan tablets carry both uses:
- Treating high blood pressure, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in people 55 or older at high risk who are unable to take ACE inhibitors.
How Telmisartan works
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Telmisartan blocks angiotensin II, a hormone that tightens blood vessels, stimulates aldosterone (which makes the body hold salt), and stimulates the heart. It does this by blocking the AT1 receptor, where angiotensin II acts.
It does not block the ACE enzyme, so it does not affect bradykinin, a substance linked to ACE inhibitor cough. Whether this matters clinically is not yet known.
Telmisartan dosage
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Micardis and generic telmisartan tablets are taken by mouth once daily, with or without food. Your dose is individualized.
- For high blood pressure, most of the effect shows within 2 weeks, and the full effect is usually reached by about 4 weeks.
- For cardiovascular risk reduction, your prescriber will set the dose and monitor your blood pressure when you start.
- It can be taken with other blood pressure medicines.
- Patients on dialysis may get lightheaded when standing, so their blood pressure is closely monitored.
Follow your prescriber's directions and the label.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Telmisartan prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Hypertension
- Usual starting dose 40 mg orally once a day
- Dose range 40 to 80 mg once daily
- Dosage must be individualized
- Blood pressure response is dose-related over the range of 20 to 80 mg
- Most of the antihypertensive effect is apparent within 2 weeks and maximal reduction is generally attained after 4 weeks
- May be administered with other antihypertensive agents
- No initial dosage adjustment is necessary for elderly patients or patients with renal impairment, including those on hemodialysis; patients on dialysis may develop orthostatic hypotension and their blood pressure should be closely monitored. May be administered with or without food.
- Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
- 80 mg once a day
- Can be administered with or without food. It is not known whether doses lower than 80 mg are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. When initiating therapy, monitoring of blood pressure is recommended, and adjustment of medications that lower blood pressure may be necessary if appropriate.
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • May be administered with or without food ( 2.1 ) • When used for cardiovascular risk reduction, monitoring of blood pressure is recommended, and if appropriate, adjustment of medications that lower blood pressure may be necessary ( 2.2 ) Indication Starting Dose Dose Range Hypertension ( 2.1 ) 40 mg once daily 40 to 80 mg once daily Cardiovascular Risk Reduction ( 2.2 ) 80 mg once daily 80 mg once daily 2.1 Hypertension Dosage must be individualized. The usual starting dose of telmisartan tablets is 40 mg once a day. Blood pressure response is dose-related over the range of 20 to 80 mg [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. Most of the antihypertensive effect is apparent within 2 weeks and maximal reduction is generally attained after 4 weeks. No initial dosage adjustment is necessary for elderly patients or patients with renal impairment, including those on hemodialysis. Patients on dialysis may develop orthostatic hypotension; their blood pressure should be closely monitored. Telmisartan tablets may be administered with other antihypertensive agents. Telmisartan tablets may be administered with or without food. 2.2 Cardiovascular Risk Reduction The recommended dose of telmisartan tablets is 80 mg once a day and can be administered with or without food. It is not known whether doses lower than 80 mg of telmisartan are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. When initiating telmisartan therapy for cardiovascular risk reduction, monitoring of blood pressure is recommended, and if appropriate, adjustment of medications that lower blood pressure may be necessary.
2.2 Cardiovascular Risk Reduction The recommended dose of telmisartan tablets is 80 mg once a day and can be administered with or without food. It is not known whether doses lower than 80 mg of telmisartan are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. When initiating telmisartan therapy for cardiovascular risk reduction, monitoring of blood pressure is recommended, and if appropriate, adjustment of medications that lower blood pressure may be necessary.
Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Telmisartan side effects
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In blood pressure studies, the overall rate of side effects was similar to placebo. The more common ones were:
Common side effects
- Back pain
- Sinusitis (sinus infection or congestion)
- Diarrhea
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Sore throat (pharyngitis)
When to get medical help
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or trouble breathing (possible angioedema or severe allergic reaction): get emergency help.
- Lightheadedness or fainting, especially after starting treatment or if you are dehydrated or on strong water pills.
- Signs of kidney problems, such as much less urine than usual.
- Signs of high potassium, which can happen with kidney problems, heart failure, or potassium supplements or salt substitutes.
- If you become pregnant, call your doctor right away.
- Unexplained muscle pain, weakness, or dark urine (rare muscle breakdown has been reported with ARBs).
Get medical help right away for facial or throat swelling, fainting, or signs of kidney problems. In the cardiovascular risk study, intermittent claudication (leg pain with walking) and skin ulcers were slightly more common than with placebo.
Telmisartan warnings and precautions
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- Pregnancy: can cause fetal injury and death. Stop as soon as pregnancy is detected.
- Low blood pressure: more likely if you are low on fluid or salt, such as with high-dose diuretics.
- High potassium: more likely with advanced kidney disease, heart failure, or potassium supplements.
- Kidney function: may change, especially in severe heart failure, kidney disease, or narrowed kidney arteries.
- Liver or bile duct problems: slower clearance, so lower starting doses and careful monitoring are needed.
- Dual blockade: avoid combining with an ACE inhibitor, another ARB, or aliskiren.
Telmisartan interactions
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Several medicines can clash with telmisartan.
- Aliskiren: not allowed in diabetes. Avoid in kidney impairment.
- ACE inhibitors (such as ramipril): more kidney problems, no added benefit.
- NSAIDs: may harm the kidneys and weaken the blood pressure effect.
- Lithium: levels can rise and cause toxicity.
- Digoxin: levels can rise.
- Potassium products and salt substitutes: raise the risk of high potassium.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Telmisartan prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Aliskiren: Co-administration with telmisartan tablets is not to be done in patients with diabetes; use is to be avoided in patients with renal impairment (GFR < 60 mL/min). Do not co-administer in patients with diabetes. Avoid use in patients with renal impairment (GFR < 60 mL/min).
- Digoxin: When co-administered with telmisartan tablets, median increases in digoxin peak plasma concentration (49%) and in trough concentration (20%) were observed. Monitor digoxin levels when initiating, adjusting, and discontinuing telmisartan to keep the digoxin level within the therapeutic range.
- Lithium: Reversible increases in serum lithium concentrations and toxicity have been reported during concomitant administration with angiotensin II receptor antagonists including telmisartan tablets. Monitor serum lithium levels during concomitant use.
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents Including Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors (COX-2 Inhibitors): In patients who are elderly, volume-depleted (including those on diuretic therapy), or with compromised renal function, co-administration may result in deterioration of renal function, including possible acute renal failure, usually reversible; the antihypertensive effect of telmisartan may be attenuated by NSAIDs. Monitor renal function periodically in patients receiving telmisartan and NSAID therapy.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Aliskiren: Do not co-administer aliskiren with telmisartan tablets in patients with diabetes. Avoid use of aliskiren with telmisartan tablets in patients with renal impairment (GFR < 60 mL/min). Digoxin: When telmisartan tablets were co-administered with digoxin, median increases in digoxin peak plasma concentration (49%) and in trough concentration (20%) were observed. Therefore, monitor digoxin levels when initiating, adjusting, and discontinuing telmisartan for the purpose of keeping the digoxin level within the therapeutic range. Lithium: Reversible increases in serum lithium concentrations and toxicity have been reported during concomitant administration of lithium with angiotensin II receptor antagonists including telmisartan tablets. Therefore, monitor serum lithium levels during concomitant use. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents Including Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors (COX-2 Inhibitors): In patients who are elderly, volume-depleted (including those on diuretic therapy), or with compromised renal function, co-administration of NSAIDs, including selective COX-2 inhibitors, with angiotensin II receptor antagonists, including telmisartan, may result in deterioration of renal function, including possible acute renal failure. These effects are usually reversible. Monitor renal function periodically in patients receiving telmisartan and NSAID therapy. The antihypertensive effect of angiotensin II receptor antagonists, including telmisartan may be attenuated by NSAIDs including selective COX-2 inhibitors. • NSAIDs: Increased risk of renal impairment and loss of anti-hypertensive effect ( 7 ) • Do not co-administer aliskiren with telmisartan tablets in patients with diabetes ( 7 )
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Telmisartan
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- Do not use it if you are allergic to telmisartan or its ingredients (including past angioedema).
- Do not combine with aliskiren if you have diabetes.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to be.
- Do not breastfeed during treatment.
- Mention any liver, bile duct, or kidney problems.
- Mention if you are dehydrated or on diuretics.
- Not established for children.
- Older adults had similar results, but some may be more sensitive.
Telmisartan overdose
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Limited information exists on overdose. The most likely effects are low blood pressure, dizziness, and a fast heartbeat (tachycardia). A slow heartbeat is also possible. Treatment is supportive, and telmisartan cannot be removed by dialysis.
What Telmisartan does in the body
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In healthy volunteers, a high dose blocked about 90% of angiotensin II's blood pressure-raising effect at peak, with about 40% still blocked at 24 hours. In studies of people with high blood pressure, there were no clinically significant changes in potassium, sodium, cholesterol, or blood sugar.
How your body processes Telmisartan
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After a dose by mouth, telmisartan peaks in the blood in about 0.5 to 1 hour. Food slightly lowers how much is absorbed. Its half-life is about 24 hours, which fits once-daily dosing.
The body clears it mainly through bile into the stool, with very little in urine. It isn't processed by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. Levels are higher in people with liver problems and are 2 to 3 times higher in women, but no dose change is needed for sex.
How to store Telmisartan
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Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) . Protect from moisture. Dispense in a tightly closed container.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Telmisartan
140 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Telmisartan in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 4
- Moderate · 114
- Minor · 22
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Telmisartan has been associated with lower levels of 1 nutrient in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Telmisartan: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Telmisartan — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is telmisartan for?
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How should I take it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Can I take it if I'm pregnant or planning to be?
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What should I avoid taking with it?
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Can it make me dizzy?
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Is Telmisartan available over the counter?
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When was Telmisartan first available?
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Who makes Telmisartan?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Telmisartan on HelloPharmacist
Telmisartan forms and strengths (how it comes)
Telmisartan is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Telmisartan inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Micardis tablets treat high blood pressure and lower cardiovascular risk in certain high-risk patients 55 or older who can't take ACE inhibitors.
- Telmisartan tablets treat high blood pressure and lower cardiovascular risk in certain high-risk patients 55 or older who can't take ACE inhibitors.
- Micardis tablets are taken by mouth once a day, with or without food.
- Telmisartan tablets are taken by mouth once a day, with or without food.
- With Micardis or telmisartan tablets for cardiovascular risk reduction, blood pressure should be monitored when starting.
Telmisartan on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Telmisartan appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
27 companies list 80 Telmisartan product records with the FDA, mostly as tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1998. Brand names on the directory include Micardis, Semintra; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (22) · Granule (2) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Telmisartan is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Telmisartan is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Telmisartan is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Telmisartan prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Telmisartan ranks #502 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 69% of them.
Utilization by Telmisartan product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
telmisartan 40 MG Oral Tablet Most dispensed
Summed across the 11 of 108 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 205304
telmisartan 80 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 13 of 120 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 205305
telmisartan 20 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 10 of 94 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 282755
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Telmisartan, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 34 of 322 listed Telmisartan NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Telmisartan products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Telmisartan — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 40 mg | Oral | A-S Medication Solutions | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | A-S Medication Solutions | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Ascend Laboratories, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Ascend Laboratories, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Ascend Laboratories, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Aurobindo Pharma Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Aurobindo Pharma Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Aurobindo Pharma Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | AvKARE | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | AvKARE | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | AvKARE | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack × 4 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Chartwell RX, LLC. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Chartwell RX, LLC. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Chartwell RX, LLC. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Jubilant Cadista Pharmacuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Jubilant Cadista Pharmacuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Jubilant Cadista Pharmacuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Lifestar Pharma LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Lifestar Pharma LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Lifestar Pharma LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Modavar Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Modavar Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Modavar Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | NorthStar RxLLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | NorthStar RxLLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | NorthStar RxLLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | NuCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc. × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Proficient Rx LP | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Redpharm Drug | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Remedyrepack Inc. × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Solco Healthcare US, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Solco Healthcare US, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Solco Healthcare US, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Zydus Lifesciences Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Zydus Lifesciences Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Zydus Lifesciences Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 20 mg | Oral | Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 40 mg | Oral | Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 80 mg | Oral | Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 80 of 80 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 80 Telmisartan NDCs →
Telmisartan side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Telmisartan — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
The effects most often named in FDA reports that mention Telmisartan are fatigue, nausea, headache; about 84% of the reports were classed as serious. These are voluntary reports, so they show what people report, not how often it happens.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Telmisartan in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Telmisartan FDA approval history
How Telmisartan went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Telmisartan was first approved by the FDA in 1998 (Brand: MICARDIS · Boehringer Ingelheim); the first generic version was approved in 2014. It remains available in U.S. pharmacies today.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Telmisartan recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Telmisartan recalls since July 2021.
✅No Telmisartan recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 73494 2 dose forms · 4 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Solution RxCUI 2057151No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 10 MG/MLRxCUI 2057152 -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 374024In current FDA listings
Look up RxCUI 73494 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Telmisartan supply and shortage status
Whether Telmisartan is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
💵 What Telmisartan costs pharmacies (NADAC benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet · Oral | 80 mg | $0.163 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet · Oral | 40 mg | $0.150 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet · Oral | 20 mg | $0.106 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Telmisartan brand names
Telmisartan is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Micardis, Semintra. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Telmisartan: manufacturers and labelers
27 companies list Telmisartan products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Bryant Ranch Prepack, Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc., Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc.. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
…and 3 more on the FDA NDC directory.
Telmisartan drug class (RxNorm)
Telmisartan belongs to the Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blocker class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Telmisartan page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →