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Alert Alertness Aid Caffeine 200 mg Tablet, 100-count — NDC 50844-226-12 (Billing 50844-0226-12)

by L.N.K. International, Inc. · 100 TABLET in 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC

This is a package of 100 tablets of Alert Alertness Aid Caffeine 200 mg Tablet from L.N.K. International, Inc., marketed since Nov 1996 and currently FDA-listed. It is this product's only package size.

NDC 50844-0226-12
🏷️ FDA NDC (as labeled) 50844-226-12 billing pads the product segment with a zero
OTC On market Non-controlled ⇄ Compare with another NDC
🗂️ FDA directory synced Oct 1, 2026 · this listing last changed Jul 24, 2026 · sources: openFDA · FDA label (DailyMed) · FDA Orange & Purple Book · First Databank · CMS NADAC, ASP, Medicare & Medicaid · RxNorm
📋 All sources & update times →

This page is curated, coded, and maintained by

Compiled from public FDA, CMS, DailyMed, NADAC, and related drug data sources. Editorial policy

Identity & classification

Regulatory identifiers FDA, NLM and CMS codes for this package

FDA NDC (as labeled) 50844-226-12
Product NDC 50844-226
11-digit billing NDC 50844022612
RxCUI 198520
UNII 3G6A5W338E
UPC 0350844226129
Application # M011
SPL Set ID 4bd13171-78a7-44bb-a6d6-94c6de1f945d
Established class (EPC) Central Nervous System Stimulant; Methylxanthine
Physiologic effect Central Nervous System Stimulation
Chemical class Xanthines
DEA schedule Non-controlled
Marketing category OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG
Marketing status On market
FDA listing status Listed (active directory)
Marketing start 1996-11-21
Route ORAL
Dosage form TABLET
Substance CAFFEINE
Quick answers
  • RxCUI (RxNorm): 198520
Why two NDCs? The FDA registers this code as 50844-226-12 — a 5-3-2 layout, and that's what's printed on the package and shown on DailyMed. For insurance claims, every NDC is standardized to a uniform 11-digit 5-4-2 format by adding a zero to the product segment → 50844-0226-12. Same drug, same package — only the format differs.
Where does this data come from?
Identifiers from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Structured Product Labeling; RxCUI from RxNorm (NLM); GPI from Medi-Span; GCN / HIC / AHFS / legend from First Databank.

RxNorm drug class

This medicine belongs to the Central Nervous System Stimulant class.

Pharmacologic class Central Nervous System Stimulant, Methylxanthine
Drug family (ATC) Tests for gastric secretion, Other dermatologicals, Xanthine derivatives
Where does this data come from?
Therapeutic classes from RxNorm RxClass (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — Established Pharmacologic Class (FDA), ATC drug family (WHO) and mechanism of action, matched by this product’s RxCUI.

Clinical

📗 Our plain-language guide HelloPharmacist
  • It is used short term to treat apnea of prematurity, which means pauses in breathing in premature infants. It is given as an injection or an oral solution by the healthcare team.
  • The baby usually gets a one-time loading dose into a vein, then a smaller maintenance dose about every 24 hours. The maintenance dose can be given into a vein or by mouth. The dose...
  • Babies may be jittery or irritable, have a fast heart rate, have feeding problems, or have a rash. Blood sugar and urine output can also change. Tell the care team if you notice an...
  • Yes. Necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious intestinal problem in premature infants, was seen in trials. A cause was not proven, and the team watches closely for it. Too much caffein...
📖 Read our full Caffeine guide →
1
Nutrient depletion considerations

Caffeine (OTC drug) may be associated with lower levels of 1 nutrient — worth a chat with your pharmacist, not a cause for alarm.

🧪 Full Caffeine (OTC drug) nutrient depletion report →
An association is not a deficiency. Educational only — don't start or stop anything without professional guidance.
Where does this data come from?
Plain-language summary from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine); supplement & herbal interactions and nutrient depletion data from the Natural Medicines database; our full guide is HelloPharmacist editorial content.

Pricing

A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.

Price systemPer eachPer package
Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly Not in the retail survey — common for institutional, discontinued, or low-volume packs.
Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo No recent Medicaid claims on file for this NDC — rare and low-volume NDCs are suppressed in the public data.
Medicare drug plans payPart D · quarterly No Part D plan price is available for this NDC in our data.
ℹ️
No price is published for this exact package yet. CMS surveys NADAC per package size, so a different pack of the same drug often has one.
Where does this data come from?
NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) is the CMS weekly pharmacy-acquisition-cost survey — what pharmacies pay. ASP (Average Sales Price) is the CMS Medicare Part B drug-payment file, published quarterly. Medicaid pays is computed by us from CMS State Drug Utilization Data (total reimbursed ÷ units, trailing 12 months) — gross of rebates and inclusive of dispensing fees, so it reflects what Medicaid paid, not an acquisition cost. Medicare drug plans pay is the median negotiated point-of-sale unit cost across plans listing this NDC in the CMS quarterly Prescription Drug Plan pricing files, before rebates. The VA pays is the federal contract price (FSS, and the statutory Big 4 ceiling where listed) from the VA National Acquisition Center pharmaceutical price file. All are free public government data; each measures a different payer, so the figures are not directly comparable.

Packaging — all sizes for this product

Package NDCDescription Marketing startMarketing endStatus
50844-0226-12 You're viewing this Main listing 100 TABLET in 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC 1996-11-21 — Active

Therapeutic equivalents

ProductLabelerPackNADAC/unitTEStatusPrice vs. this
Alert Aid 200 mg 46122-0457-73 Amerisource 16 tablets $0.083 — Availability likely —
Caffeine 200 mg 70000-0409-01 LEADER/ 16 tablets $0.083 — Availability likely —
Stay Awake 200 mg 70677-1126-01 Strategic 16 tablets $0.083 — Availability likely —
Stay Awake 200 mg 83324-0074-16 Chain 16 tablets $0.083 — Availability likely —
Awake Maximum Strength 200 mg 00363-3440-11 Walgreen 60 tablets — — FDA listed —
Caffeine 200 mg 00363-5009-01 Walgreen 100 tablets — — FDA listed —
stay awake 200 mg 11822-2260-02 Rite 100 tablets — — FDA listed —
JET ALERT Double Strength 200 mg 15579-0200-16 Bell 90 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake Maximum Strength 200 mg 21130-0226-10 Better 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Awake Maximum Strength 200 mg 21130-0944-11 Better 60 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 30142-0284-40 KROGER 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 30142-0726-10 Kroger 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Awake Maximum Strength 200 mg 36800-0844-11 Topco 60 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 41163-0226-10 United 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake Maximum Strength 200 mg 41163-0434-11 United 60 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 49035-0226-31 Wal-Mart 80 tablets — — FDA listed —
Alert 200 mg 49483-0343-44 Time 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 50804-0262-10 Geiss, 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Alert Alertness Aid 200 mgthis 50844-0226-12 L.N.K. 100 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 53943-0320-02 DISCOUNT 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 55301-0226-10 ARMY 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Alert 200 mg 55910-0226-21 DOLGENCORP, 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
stay awake 200 mg 56062-0030-01 PUBLIX 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 57243-0226-21 Salado 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 57344-0220-02 AAA 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
caffeine 200 mg 58602-0747-47 Aurohealth 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 63868-0114-16 CHAIN 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 63941-0020-01 VALU 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
NoDoz Alertness Aid 200 mg 66715-9899-03 Lil' 2 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 67091-0117-16 WinCo 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
Vivarin 200 mg 67751-0226-04 Navajo 4 tablets — — FDA listed —
Alertness Aid 200 mg 68016-0680-16 Chain 16 tablets — — Discontinued —
Stay Awake 200 mg 68998-0076-84 Marc 8 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 69168-0076-40 Allegiant 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Caffeine 200 mg 69842-0500-11 CVS 60 tablets — — FDA listed —
Caffeine 200 mg 69842-0509-10 CVS 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Vivarin 200 mg 71179-0018-16 Vespyr 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 72036-0020-02 Harris 40 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 72476-0102-01 RETAIL 16 tablets — — FDA listed —
Topcare Stay Awake Maximum Strength 200 mg 76162-0002-58 TopCo 8 tablets — — FDA listed —
Stay Awake 200 mg 83059-0008-01 Shield 15 tablets — — Discontinued —
Stay Awake 200 mg 83059-0097-03 Shield 30 tablets — — FDA listed —
About this product: other versions of the same ingredient, strength and form are listed above, least expensive first, with FDA equivalence ratings where available.
Where does this data come from?
Equivalents are other NDCs of the same ingredient, form and route from the openFDA NDC Directory, ranked least-expensive-first by NADAC. Therapeutic-equivalence (AB) ratings come from the FDA Orange Book; biologics use the FDA Purple Book for biosimilar & interchangeable status.

Availability & generic status

🏛️
1996
On the market since
Nov 1996
📍
2026
Currently FDA-listed
30 years listed
🔒
·
No generic listed yet
brand only
ℹ️No FDA-approved generic found

We did not find an FDA-approved generic match for this exact strength, form and route.

Where does this data come from?
Patents and exclusivity from the FDA Orange Book (small-molecule drugs), refreshed from public FDA data. Generic launch timing is an estimate, not a guarantee.

Inactive Ingredients / Excipients

Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.

Loading inactive ingredients from the official FDA label in the background. No external source is being called by this page request.
Where does this data come from?
Source: official FDA Structured Product Labeling (SPL) via DailyMed and the openFDA label index. Structured IACT rows and label-wide narrative are kept separate; availability and product-level specificity depend on the submitted label.

Inactive ingredient FAQ

Are inactive ingredients the same for every manufacturer?
No. Inactive ingredients can differ by manufacturer, dosage form, strength, and package / product version.
Why might an inactive ingredient be missing?
Some SPLs do not provide a complete structured inactive-ingredient list, and older or unusual labels may only include the information in narrative text.
Can inactive ingredients matter?
Yes. They can matter for allergies, intolerances, dyes, gluten / lactose concerns, preservatives, and formulation differences — but confirm with a pharmacist or the manufacturer when it’s clinically important.

Manufacturer & labeler

LabelerL.N.K. International, Inc.
FDA applicationM011 (OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG)
Labeler code50844
First marketedNov 1996
Product typeHuman Otc Drug
Portfolio64 products on file
The labeler markets the product; the application holder owns the FDA approval. They’re often the same company but can differ (e.g. a repackager or an authorized generic). A mailing address / phone appears here when the manufacturer includes it in the product’s FDA label (not all do).
Where does this data come from?
Labeler, application holder and registered establishment from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Drugs@FDA; address/contact from the product’s FDA label.

FDA label — Drug Facts FDA SPL

The complete FDA label for this product — the official Drug Facts labeling, verbatim, section by section. Jump with a chip, search within the label, or expand everything.
🎯 Indications and Usage ⏱️ Dosage and Administration ⚠️ Warnings 📦 Storage and Handling 🧪 Active Ingredient 🧪 Inactive Ingredients 🎯 Purpose 📄 Do Not Use 📄 Stop Use and Ask a Doctor If 🤰 If Pregnant or Breast-Feeding 📄 Keep Out of Reach of Children 📄 Questions or Comments 📄 Package Label / Principal Display Panel
🎯 Indications and Usage 12 words ▾

Use helps restore mental alertness or wakefulness when experiencing fatigue or drowsiness

⏱️ Dosage and Administration 27 words ▾

Directions adults and children 12 years and over: take 1 tablet not more often than every 3 to 4 hours children under 12 years: do not use

⚠️ Warnings 111 words ▾

Warnings For occasional use only Caffeine warning: The recommended dose of this product contains about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Limit the use of caffeine-containing medications, foods, or beverages while taking this product because too much caffeine may cause nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, and, occasionally, rapid heart beat. Do not use for children under 12 years of age as a substitute for sleep Stop use and ask a doctor if fatigue or drowsiness persists or continues to recur.

If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Keep out of reach of children. In case of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

📦 Storage and Handling 23 words ▾

Other information each tablet contains: calcium 35 mg store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted between 15°-30°C (59°-86°F) use by expiration date on package

🧪 Active Ingredient 8 words ▾

Active ingredient (in each tablet) Caffeine 200 mg

🧪 Inactive Ingredients 26 words ▾

Inactive ingredients corn starch, D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake, dextrates hydrated, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, FD&C yellow #6 aluminum lake, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide

🎯 Purpose 3 words ▾

Purpose Alertness aid

📄 Do Not Use 15 words ▾

Do not use for children under 12 years of age as a substitute for sleep

📄 Stop Use and Ask a Doctor If 15 words ▾

Stop use and ask a doctor if fatigue or drowsiness persists or continues to recur.

🤰 If Pregnant or Breast-Feeding 10 words ▾

If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use.

📄 Keep Out of Reach of Children 21 words ▾

Keep out of reach of children. In case of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

📄 Questions or Comments 4 words ▾

Questions or comments? 1-800-426-9391

📄 Package Label / Principal Display Panel 83 words ▾

Principal Display Panel QUALITY +PLUS NDC 50844-226-12 *Compare to active ingredient in VIVARIN® ALERT TABLETS Caffeine 200 mg ALERTNESS AID Equal to about a cup of coffee 100 Tablets ACTUAL SIZE TAMPER EVIDENT: DO NOT USE IF IMPRINTED SAFETY SEAL UNDER CAP IS BROKEN OR MISSING *This product is not manufactured or distributed by Vespyr Brands, Inc., owner of the registered trademark Vivarin®. 50844 REV1219A22612 Distributed by LNK INTERNATIONAL, INC. 60 Arkay Drive Hauppauge, NY 11788 USA Quality Plus 44-226 Quality Plus 44-226

Source: FDA Structured Product Labeling, mirrored from DailyMed / openFDA. Prefer the government’s original formatting? View this label on DailyMed ↗

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

Read carefully: FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified. Counts are not incidence, do not establish causation, are subject to reporting bias, and cannot be used to compare one drug to another. Shown for signal context only. Reports for Alert Alertness Aid (this brand).

Top reported reactions

Toxicity To Various Agents1,367
Fatigue1,274
Pain1,147
Arthralgia1,079
Alopecia1,077
Vomiting1,061
Dyspnoea1,054

Age at onset

Neonate83
Infant27
Child16
Adolescent33
Adult935
Elderly166

Reporter sex

7,481 reports
Male · 35%
Female · 65%
Unknown · 0%

Serious outcomes

Death3,097
Hospitalization3,079
Disabling1,764
Reports over time (by year) — tap or hover for the count & year
2019 2021 2023 2026 907 0
Most recent year is provisional (FAERS lags ~3 months).
Where does this data come from?
Adverse-event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA. FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified — counts are not incidence and don’t establish causation.

About this NDC listing & data coverage

Over-the-counter (OTC) product
What data is (and isn’t) available for this NDC — tap to expand
NDC identity (package / product / labeler codes) ✓ Available
Labeler ✓ Available
Product & package description ✓ Available
Marketing category & status ✓ Available
Active ingredient / dosage form / route ✓ Available
FDA label (SPL via DailyMed) ✓ Available
Package photos — Not published for this NDC No photo available yet for this listing.
Inactive ingredients (structured) — Not published for this NDC The labeler did not submit a structured excipient list, or no SPL is available.
NADAC pharmacy acquisition price (CMS) — Not published for this NDC CMS publishes NADAC only for NDCs reported in its retail-pharmacy survey.
Orange Book / therapeutic-equivalence data — Not published for this NDC Applies only to products approved under an NDA/ANDA; many listings are out of scope.
HCPCS J-code billing crosswalk — Not published for this NDC Most self-administered / retail products have no J-code — that is normal.
Medicaid utilization (CMS SDUD) — Not published for this NDC CMS reports utilization only for NDCs with Medicaid claims above its privacy threshold.
“Not published” reflects what the public FDA / CMS / NLM sources provide for this exact package code — it is a property of the data feeds, not a judgment about the product.

Questions about this listing

Is this NDC FDA-approved?
An NDC listing does not by itself establish FDA approval — the NDC Directory records that a product is listed with FDA, not that it was reviewed and approved. This listing's marketing category is "Otc Monograph Drug". Products approved under an application carry an NDA, ANDA, or BLA number.
Why is there no price listed?
The pricing shown on our NDC pages comes from CMS NADAC, a voluntary survey of retail community pharmacy invoices. CMS does not publish a NADAC for every NDC — packages outside the retail survey (institutional and hospital products, bulk packages, discontinued items, and many OTC items) may never receive one. A missing price reflects the survey's scope, not this product's actual cost, and does not mean the product is free or unavailable.
Is the NDC printed on the package the same as the 11-digit billing NDC?
Yes, they identify this exact package in different formats. The form printed on the packaging and shown on DailyMed is the one the FDA registered. Insurance claims use a fixed 11-digit 5-4-2 format, so the short segment is padded with a leading zero and the dashes are dropped. The Identity section at the top of this page lists each form of this code.
Is this package still being marketed?
Yes, per the latest FDA NDC Directory data on this page: this package is listed as actively marketed, with no marketing end date reported by L.N.K. International, Inc.. Listing status can change — the directory data on this page refreshes weekly.
Who lists this product with the FDA?
L.N.K. International, Inc. is the labeler of record for this NDC — the company under whose FDA-assigned code the package is listed. The labeler may be the manufacturer itself or a distributor marketing the product under its own code.
Do I need a prescription for this product?
This NDC is listed with FDA as an over-the-counter product, so it does not require a prescription. Follow the package directions, and ask your pharmacist if you are unsure whether it is right for you.
This page identifies an FDA-listed package (the NDC) and reports public regulatory and pricing data about the listing. It is reference information, not a medical recommendation — talk to your pharmacist or prescriber about your own medication.
Where does this data come from?
Listing facts (marketing category, packager status, marketing dates) from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory; label availability from DailyMed; pricing coverage from CMS NADAC; equivalence scope from the FDA Orange Book.
← 50844-0218-07 · L.N.K. 50844-0229-08 · L.N.K. →
For educational and professional reference only — not medical advice. Pricing reflects published NADAC and CMS ASP (free public data) and may differ from your acquisition cost; always verify before billing or dispensing.