ACTIQ vs EXALGO

Independent side-by-side comparison.

Rated against independent regulatory sources·Last updated August 23, 2026·How we rate

Possible drug interaction. ACTIQ and EXALGO are different prescription medicines. Combining or switching between them can cause interactions — talk to a pharmacist or prescriber before making changes. This page is not medical advice.

Attribute	ACTIQ	EXALGO
Rating	New	70/100
Pharmacy pays	$9.51 /mL	$0.57 /mL
Type	RX	RX
Active ingredient	FENTANYL CITRATE	HYDROMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE
Manufacturer	Cephalon	Specgx LLC
Dosage forms	Lozenge	Tablet, extended release
Drug class	Opioid Agonist	Opioid Agonist
Boxed warning	Boxed warning	None
Half-life	—	about 2.3 hours (terminal elimination half-life after an intravenous dose); after an oral dose the label reports a mean T½ of about 2.6 hours for the 8 mg tablet and 2.8 hours for the oral liquid
Treats	Pain	Cough, Postoperative Pain

actiq exalgo

Rating

New

70/100

Pharmacy pays

$9.51 /mL

$0.57 /mL

Type

Active ingredient

FENTANYL CITRATE

HYDROMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE

Manufacturer

Cephalon

Specgx LLC

Dosage forms

Lozenge

Tablet, extended release

Drug class

Opioid Agonist

Boxed warning

None

Half-life

—

about 2.3 hours (terminal elimination half-life after an intravenous dose); after an oral dose the label reports a mean T½ of about 2.6 hours for the 8 mg tablet and 2.8 hours for the oral liquid

Treats

Pain

Cough, Postoperative Pain

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Actiq or Exalgo?

Exalgo costs pharmacies less to acquire — about $0.57 vs $9.51 per ml, per the CMS NADAC survey. That gap is in the pharmacy's cost of goods, not necessarily in what you pay: your price is set afterwards by your insurer and the pharmacy.

What is the difference between Actiq and Exalgo?

Actiq contains Fentanyl Citrate, while Exalgo contains Hydromorphone Hydrochloride — they have different active ingredients.

Ratings are based on FDA regulatory (recall-safety) data. This comparison is for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional before choosing or switching a medication.