A BuiltForAI Property
Live data · NADAC + Part D CY24 · reviewed daily

Colesevelam (Welchol)

Colesevelam hydrochloride is a bile acid sequestrant indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to: reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with primary hyperlipidem....

First FDA approval2018-05-17
Generic availableYes · 9 mfrs
Shortage statusNone
340B exposureunknown
Last updated
NADAC: weekly (every Wed)Part D Formulary: quarterlyPart D Spend: annual (CY24)Orange Book: weeklyShortages: daily
At a glance · the numbers a plan sponsor wants on screen one

$74.0M in CY2024 Part D spend398K claims · 132K beneficiaries · 329 plans surveyed

Lowest NADAC
$0.276/unit
14 NDCs benchmarked, lowest of all strengths.
Average NADAC
$1.33
Across all dosage forms in distribution.
Highest NADAC
$5.21
Wide spread — brand-strength NDCs still in market.
Plans with PA
0 / 329
Zero PA friction — switching is purely formulary.

Questions a plan sponsor actually asks.

FAQPage schema12 entries indexed · 4 visible
What is Colesevelam used for?

Colesevelam hydrochloride is a bile acid sequestrant indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to: reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with primary hyperlipidem....

Is there a generic for Colesevelam?

Yes. 12 ANDAs filed at FDA, 9 generic manufacturers currently shipping.

How much does my plan pay for Colesevelam?

Across 329 Part D plans, Colesevelam averages $1.33/unit (NADAC). Lowest available: $0.276/unit. Highest in distribution: $5.21/unit.

Is Colesevelam on the FDA shortage list?

No. Colesevelam is not currently on the FDA Drug Shortage Database.

8 additional drug-specific questions are indexed in the page's FAQPage schema for search engines and LLM crawlers, beyond what renders visually above. View page source for the complete JSON-LD.

Same class. Different math.

Bile Acid Sequestrant6 alternatives in D1
01
Cholestyramine
Brand: Prevalite
$0.145Lowest NADAC
11Generic mfrs
$27.2MCY24 Part D spend
Compare →
02
Cholestyramine For Oral Suspension
Bile Acid Sequestrant
$0.103Lowest NADAC
0Generic mfrs
CY24 Part D spend
Compare →
03
Cholestyramine Light
Bile Acid Sequestrant
$0.103Lowest NADAC
0Generic mfrs
CY24 Part D spend
Compare →
04
Cholestyramine Powder For Suspension
Bile Acid Sequestrant
Lowest NADAC
0Generic mfrs
CY24 Part D spend
Compare →
05
Choleystyramine Light
Bile Acid Sequestrant
$0.796Lowest NADAC
0Generic mfrs
CY24 Part D spend
Compare →
06
Colestipol
Brand: Colestid
$0.272Lowest NADAC
6Generic mfrs
$67.0MCY24 Part D spend
Compare →

Sources · every number above traces back.

Last refresh30 May 2026

Drug identity, dosage forms, brand names: openFDA NDC Directory · First approval, ANDA history: FDA Orange Book (10 approvals on file) · NADAC unit costs: CMS NADAC weekly file (14 NDCs benchmarked) · Formulary tier and PA placement: CMS Part D Formulary file (329 plans) · Annualized spend, claims, beneficiaries: CMS Part D Spending Dashboard (CY2024) · Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortage Database · 340B exposure: HRSA OPAIS. Methodology and reproducibility notes on /methodology.