EXALGO vs NUCYNTA ER

Independent side-by-side comparison.

Rated against independent regulatory sources·Last updated August 14, 2026·How we rate

Possible drug interaction. EXALGO and NUCYNTA ER 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	EXALGO	NUCYNTA ER
Rating	70/100	New
Pharmacy pays	$0.57 /mL	~$342.56 /30
Type	RX	RX
Active ingredient	HYDROMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE	TAPENTADOL HYDROCHLORIDE
Manufacturer	Specgx LLC	Collegium Pharm Inc
Dosage forms	Tablet, extended release	Tablet, extended release
Drug class	Opioid Agonist	Opioid Agonist
Boxed warning	None	Boxed warning
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	about 5 hours (terminal half-life, on average, after oral administration)
Treats	Cough, Postoperative Pain	Pain

exalgo nucynta er

Rating

70/100

New

Pharmacy pays

$0.57 /mL

~$342.56 /30

Type

Active ingredient

HYDROMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE

TAPENTADOL HYDROCHLORIDE

Manufacturer

Specgx LLC

Collegium Pharm Inc

Dosage forms

Tablet, extended release

Drug class

Opioid Agonist

Boxed warning

None

Boxed warning

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

about 5 hours (terminal half-life, on average, after oral administration)

Treats

Cough, Postoperative Pain

Pain

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Exalgo and Nucynta ER?

Exalgo contains Hydromorphone Hydrochloride, while Nucynta ER contains Tapentadol 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.