DesOwen vs. its authorized generic and generics

How to pay the least

Ask for the cash price

Generic desonide

No pharmacy we check posts a price for it.

Ask your pharmacy for the cash price of generic desonide.Find pharmacies near you
Ask one or two other pharmacies too. Cash prices for the same generic can differ a lot from store to store.

A regular generic has the same active ingredient as DesOwen, and the FDA requires it to work the same way.

Compare every option

Brand nameDesOwen

Authorized genericdesonide

Regular genericdesonide

What you’d pay

Not soldNo longer sold

Cash priceAsk the pharmacyOften less than DesOwen

Cash priceAsk the pharmacyUsually the lowest

Same as DesOwen?

–

Same medicine

Same active ingredientFillers and dyes can differ

Brand nameNot sold

DesOwen itself isn’t sold as a prescription anymore. Its generic versions, if any, are in the other tabs.

See the authorized generic →

Authorized genericThe NDC to ask for

The same medicine as DesOwen, without the brand name. Give the pharmacy its NDC to get it.

desonide

Sold by

Proficient Rx

Right now it’s only listed by a repackager (a company that relabels medicine for clinics and pharmacies), so your pharmacy may need to special-order it.

NDC to ask for

0.05%cream
- 63187-747-1511-digit: 63187-0747-1515 g per tube
- 63187-747-6011-digit: 63187-0747-6060 g per tube

Source: FDA, updated October 30, 2026

What to say at the pharmacy

“Before you fill my DesOwen, can you tell me what I’d pay for the brand, for the authorized generic from Proficient Rx (NDC 63187-747-15), and for a regular generic?”

Paying cash? Ask for each one’s cash price. With insurance, ask what your plan charges for each.

Brand and authorized generic labels

Official labels and ingredient lists from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).

DesOwen itself isn’t sold anymore, so there’s no current brand label to compare. Here’s the authorized generic’s label.

Authorized generic package label from Proficient Rx — Authorized genericProficient Rx

See the ingredients

Active: desonide 0.05%

Inactive:

Citric acid monohydrate
Isopropyl palmitate
Polysorbate 60
Potassium sorbate
Propyl gallate
Propylene glycol
Sodium hydroxide
Sorbic acid
Stearic acid
Water
Yellow wax

Regular genericWho makes it

5 companies sell a generic of DesOwen that the FDA rates a substitute. A pharmacy fills whichever one it stocks. To get a certain maker, ask for it by name; most pharmacies can order it in a day or two.

Alembic Pharmaceuticals0.05%

How it looks, what’s in it, NDCs

0.05%

Package NDC
Carton of 15 g 62332-632-15
Carton of 60 g 62332-632-60

Inactive ingredients: aluminum sulfate, calcium acetate, cetostearyl alcohol, icodextrin, glycerin, light mineral oil, water, sodium lauryl sulfate, white wax, petrolatum, edetate disodium
FDA label
Cosette Pharmaceuticals0.05%

How it looks, what’s in it, NDCs

0.05% White

Package NDC
Carton of 15 g 0713-0661-15
Carton of 60 g 0713-0661-60

Inactive ingredients: glycerin, sodium lauryl sulfate, aluminum sulfate, calcium acetate, cetostearyl alcohol, synthetic wax (1200 mw), petrolatum, light mineral oil, icodextrin, water, methylparaben
FDA label
NorthStar Rx0.05%

Made by Sun Pharma Canada

Product page on northstarrxllc.com

How it looks, what’s in it, NDCs

0.05% White

Package NDC
Carton of 15 g 16714-729-01
Carton of 60 g 16714-729-02

Inactive ingredients: aluminum subacetate, cetostearyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium cetostearyl sulfate, glycerin, methylparaben, mineral oil, water, petrolatum, white wax
FDA label
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries0.05%

How it looks, what’s in it, NDCs

0.05% White

Package NDC
Carton of 15 g 51672-1280-1
Carton of 60 g 51672-1280-3

Inactive ingredients: aluminum subacetate, cetostearyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium cetostearyl sulfate, glycerin, methylparaben, mineral oil, water, petrolatum, white wax
FDA label
Viona Pharmaceuticals0.05%

Made by Cadila Pharmaceuticals

Product page on vionausa.com

How it looks, what’s in it, NDCs

0.05% WHITE TO OFF-WHITE

Package NDC
Carton of 15 g 72578-086-01
Carton of 60 g 72578-086-02

Inactive ingredients: aluminum sulfate, calcium acetate, cetostearyl alcohol, glycerin, icodextrin, light mineral oil, methylparaben, petrolatum, sodium lauryl sulfate, water, yellow wax
FDA label

Package	NDC
Carton of 15 g	62332-632-15
Carton of 60 g	62332-632-60

Package	NDC
Carton of 15 g	0713-0661-15
Carton of 60 g	0713-0661-60

Package	NDC
Carton of 15 g	16714-729-01
Carton of 60 g	16714-729-02

Package	NDC
Carton of 15 g	51672-1280-1
Carton of 60 g	51672-1280-3

Package	NDC
Carton of 15 g	72578-086-01
Carton of 60 g	72578-086-02

Who sells it: FDA and Medicaid records, updated weekly. Each maker’s page, card and program is from its own site.

What it’s used for

Itchy, inflamed skin conditions

What the FDA label says

INDICATION AND USAGE:

Desonide Cream and Lotion are low to medium potency corticosteroids indicated for the relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid responsive dermatoses.

Source: the FDA label for Desonide (Proficient Rx LP), May 1, 2025. Full label on DailyMed

Good to know

It may look different from DesOwen (color, shape, or markings). That’s normal for an authorized generic.
If your prescription says “dispense as written,” the pharmacy needs your prescriber’s OK to give you the authorized generic.
Cash prices can differ a lot from one pharmacy to the next, so it can pay to ask two. With insurance, what you pay depends on your plan.
If your pharmacy doesn’t stock it, they can often order it within a day or two.
Don’t stop or change a medicine without talking to your pharmacist or prescriber.

Prices change: confirm with the pharmacy before you fill. drugalt.com/drug/desowen/