Deflazacort: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Deflazacort is a corticosteroid sold in the U.S. under one brand, for inflammation and duchenne muscular dystrophy. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Corticosteroid
- Treats (across its forms)
- Inflammation and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Available as
- Suspension · Tablet
- Sold as
- Emflaza
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How deflazacort is dosed
From the FDA label for Emflaza (application NDA208684). Other deflazacort products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
The recommended once-daily dosage is approximately 0.9 mg/kg/day administered orally ( 2.2 ) Discontinue gradually when administered for more than a few days ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Assessments Prior to First Dose of EMFLAZA Administer all immunizations according to immunization guidelines prior to starting EMFLAZA. Administer live-attenuated or live vaccines at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to starting EMFLAZA [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] . 2.2 Dosing Information The recommended oral dosage of EMFLAZA is approximately 0.9 mg/kg/day once daily. If tablets are used, round up to the nearest possible dose. Any combination of the four EMFLAZA tablet strengths can be used to achieve this dose. If the oral suspension is used, round up to the nearest tenth of a milliliter (mL). 2.3 Discontinuation Dosage of EMFLAZA must be decreased gradually if the drug has been administered for more than a few days [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . 2.4 Important Preparation and Administration Instructions EMFLAZA Tablets and Oral Suspension can be taken with or without food. Do not administer EMFLAZA with grapefruit juice [see Drug Interactions ( 7.1 )] EMFLAZA Tablets EMFLAZA Tablets can be administered whole or crushed and taken immediately after mixing with applesauce. EMFLAZA Oral Suspension Shake EMFLAZA Oral Suspension well before administration. Use only the oral dispenser provided with the…
Deflazacort side effects
The following serious adverse reactions are discussed in more detail in other sections: Alterations in Endocrine Function [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Immunosuppression and Increased Risk of Infection [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Alterations in Cardiovascular/Renal Function [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Gastrointestinal Perforation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Behavioral and Mood Disturbances [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Effects on Bones [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Ophthalmic Effects [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] Immunizations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] Serious Skin Rashes [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] Effects on Growth and Development [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] Myopathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.11 )] Kaposi’s Sarcoma [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.12 )] Risk of Serious Adverse Reactions in Infants because of Benzyl Alcohol Preservative [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.13 )] Thromboembolic Events [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.14 )] Anaphylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.15 )] The most common adverse reactions (≥ 10% for EMFLAZA and greater than placebo) are Cushingoid appearance, weight increased, increased appetite, upper respiratory tract infection, cough, pollakiuria, hirsutism, central obesity, and nasopharyngitis ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED…
Who shouldn’t take deflazacort
EMFLAZA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to deflazacort or to any of the inactive ingredients. Instances of hypersensitivity, including anaphylaxis, have occurred in patients receiving corticosteroid therapy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.15 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 )] . Hypersensitivity to deflazacort or any of the inactive ingredients in EMFLAZA ( 4 )
Deflazacort drug interactions
Moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors: Give one third of the recommended dosage of EMFLAZA ( 7.1 ) Avoid use of moderate or strong CYP3A4 inducers with EMFLAZA, as they may reduce efficacy ( 7.1 ) 7.1 CYP3A4 Inhibitors and Inducers Moderate or Strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors The active metabolite of deflazacort, 21-desDFZ, is a substrate of CYP3A4 [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Co-administration of deflazacort with clarithromycin, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, increased total exposure to 21-desDFZ by about 3-fold. Therefore, give one third the recommended dosage of EMFLAZA when moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., clarithromycin, fluconazole, diltiazem, verapamil, grapefruit juice) are used concomitantly with EMFLAZA [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Moderate or Strong CYP3A4 Inducers Co-administration of deflazacort with rifampin, a strong CYP3A4 inducer, significantly decreased the exposure of 21-desDFZ. Avoid concomitant use of strong (e.g., efavirenz) or moderate (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin) CYP3A4 inducers with EMFLAZA [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . 7.2 Neuromuscular Blockers Patients receiving corticosteroids, including EMFLAZA, and concomitant therapy with neuromuscular blocking drugs (e.g., pancuronium) may be at increased risk of developing an acute myopathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.11 )] .
Every deflazacort product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Emflaza.
What deflazacort pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
How long deflazacort keeps
The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some deflazacort labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 1 month.
Does deflazacort expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsWhat people report to the FDA about deflazacort
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 2,671 reports naming deflazacort, and the FDA flagged 89% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- arthralgia168 reports
- nausea140 reports
- pyrexia139 reports
- pain in extremity128 reports
- malaise127 reports
- rheumatoid arthritis127 reports
- vomiting125 reports
- headache120 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean deflazacort caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is deflazacort?
Emflaza (Deflazacort) is a corticosteroid used to treat Inflammation, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
What kind of drug is deflazacort?
The FDA classifies deflazacort as a corticosteroid. Corticosteroids mimic the body's natural stress hormone cortisol: they enter cells and bind a glucocorticoid receptor that switches off genes for inflammatory chemicals, calming swelling, redness, and an overactive immune response. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take deflazacort with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run deflazacort against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does deflazacort come in?
Across the brands we track, deflazacort is currently marketed as suspension and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic deflazacort?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled deflazacort product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Deflazacort: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/deflazacort
- MLA
- “Deflazacort: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/deflazacort.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for deflazacort on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.