Estradiol (Estrace)

Builds the uterine lining before a frozen embryo transfer

Sold as Climara

Updated weekly · checked 14 h ago

$0.23lowest posted cash price per 2 mg tablet

$0.06per tablet, what pharmacies pay

187,861FAERS reports (all-time)

Estradiol costs $0.23 per 2 mg tablet at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs, the one source we found that posts a cash price (prices read Oct 4, 2026); a drug-price guide lists $0.19 per 2 mg tablet at an ordinary retail pharmacy; pharmacies themselves pay a national average of $0.06 per tablet to acquire it (CMS NADAC).

Cost

What Estradiol costs, by pharmacy

Every cash price we found posted by a pharmacy, TrumpRx.gov or the manufacturer, read on the seller's own page on Oct 4, 2026, compared per one unit and cheapest first. A retail drug-price guide's figure is shown for context.

Where, and the product as listedPer 2 mg tablet

Drugs.com price guideRetail price guide
Estradiol 2 mg, 90 tablets: from $16.90 for 90 tablets
$0.19
read Oct 4, 2026
Mark Cuban Cost Plus DrugsCash pharmacy
Estradiol 2 mg, 30 tablets: Your Drug Price With Us: $6.83
Shipping $5.25.
$0.23
read Oct 4, 2026

Cash prices only: with insurance that covers fertility drugs you pay your plan's share instead, and most manufacturer programs cannot be combined with insurance. Prices change; each row links to the page it was read on. Compare every IVF medication, or see what a whole cycle's drugs cost after TrumpRx.

What pharmacies pay

The national acquisition cost (CMS NADAC)

The national average price a US retail pharmacy pays to acquire each product, published weekly by CMS. A wholesale floor, not the price you are charged.

Package (NDC description)Per unit

Estradiol 0.5 MG Tablet
NDC 72603027301 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$0.06
/ ea
Estradiol 1 MG Tablet
NDC 72603027402 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$0.06
/ ea
Estradiol 2 MG Tablet
NDC 72603027502 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$0.08
/ ea
Estradiol 0.075 MG PATCH(2/WK)
NDC 70710119408 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$8.11
/ ea
Estradiol 0.05 MG Patch (2/WK)
NDC 70710119308 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$8.50
/ ea
Estradiol 0.1 MG Patch (2/WK)
NDC 70710119508 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$8.57
/ ea
Estradiol 0.06 MG Patch (1/WK)
NDC 00781713458 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$12.25
/ ea
Estradiol 0.1 MG Patch (1/WK)
NDC 00781710458 · effective Sep 23, 2026
$12.77
/ ea

Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) · as of Sep 23, 2026

Across a whole stimulation cycle, all the medications together typically total $3,000–$7,000, which is the number that matters for a budget. See the full cycle breakdown or how families pay for it.

In a cycle

When it is given

Started early in the cycle before a planned frozen transfer and continued while the lining is monitored by ultrasound, with progesterone added once the lining is ready.

Estradiol has no FDA-approved fertility indication; the label below is for its approved use in menopausal symptoms and related conditions. Preparing the endometrium for a frozen embryo transfer is an off-label use, and a standard one.

FDA label

What the prescribing information says

The current FDA structured product label, as published through openFDA and DailyMed. Excerpted verbatim, not summarised.

Boxed warning

BOXED WARNING ESTROGENS INCREASE THE RISK OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER Close clinical surveillance of all women taking estrogens is important. Adequate diagnostic measures, including endometrial sampling when indicated, should be undertaken to rule out malignancy in all cases of undiagnosed persistent or recurring abnormal vaginal bleeding. There is no evidence that the use of “natural” estrogens results in a different endometrial risk profile than “synthetic” estrogens at equivalent estrogen doses (See WARNINGS, MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS, ENDOMETRIAL CANCER). CARDIOVASCULAR AND OTHER RISKS Estrogens with or without progestins should not be used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (See WARNINGS, CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS). The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study reported increased risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, invasive breast cancer, pulmonary emboli, and deep vein thrombosis in postmenopausal women (50 to 79 years of age) during 5 years of treatment with oral conjugated estrogens (CE 0.625 mg) combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA 2.5 mg) relative to placebo (See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, CLINICAL STUDIES). The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), a substud

What the FDA label approves it for

Estradiol tablets are indicated in the: 1. Treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with the menopause. 2. Treatment of moderate to severe symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy associated with the menopause. When prescribing solely for the treatment of symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy, topical vaginal products should be considered. 3. Treatment of hypoestrogenism due to hypogonadism, castration or primary ovarian failure. 4. Treatment of breast cancer (for palliation only) in appropriately selected women and men with metastatic disease. 5. Treatment of advanced androgen-dependent carcinoma of the prostate (for palliation only). 6. Prevention of osteoporosis. When prescribing solely for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, therapy should only be considered for women at significant risk of osteoporosis and for whom non-estrogen medications are not considered to be appropriate (See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, CLINICAL STUDIES). The mainstays for decreasing the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis are weight bearing exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, and when indicated, pharmacologic therapy. Postmenopausal women require an average of 1500

Dosage and administration

When estrogen is prescribed for a postmenopausal woman with a uterus, a progestin should also be initiated to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. A woman without a uterus does not need progestin. Use of estrogen, alone or in combination with a progestin, should be with the lowest effective dose and for the shortest duration consistent with treatment goals and risks for the individual woman. Patients should be reevaluated periodically as clinically appropriate (e.g., 3-month to 6-month intervals) to determine if treatment is still necessary (see BOXED WARNINGS and WARNINGS). For women who have a uterus, adequate diagnostic measures, such as endometrial sampling, when indicated, should be undertaken to rule out malignancy in cases of undiagnosed persistent or recurring abnormal vaginal bleeding. Patients should be started at the lowest dose for the indication. 1. For treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms, vulval and vaginal atrophy associated with the menopause, the lowest dose and regimen that will control symptoms should be chosen and medication should be discontinued as promptly as possible. Attempts to discontinue or taper medication should be made at 3-month to 6

Warnings and cautions

See BOXED WARNINGS. 1. Cardiovascular disorders Estrogen and estrogen/progestin therapy has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (venous thromboembolism or VTE). Should any of these occur or be suspected estrogens should be discontinued immediately. Risk factors for arterial vascular disease (e.g., hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tobacco use, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity) and/or venous thromboembolism (e.g., personal history or family history of VTE, obesity, and systemic lupus erythematosus) should be managed appropriately. a. Coronary heart disease and stroke In the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study, an increase in the number of myocardial infarctions and strokes has been observed in women receiving CE compared to placebo. These observations are preliminary, and the study is continuing (See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, CLINICAL STUDIES). In the CE/MPA substudy of WHI, an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events (defined as nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death) was observed in women receiving CE/MPA compared to women receiving placebo (3

Contraindications

Estrogens should not be used in individuals with any of the following conditions: 1. Undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding. 2. Known, suspected or history of cancer of the breast except in appropriately selected patients being treated for metastatic disease. 3. Known or suspected estrogen-dependent neoplasia. 4. Active deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or history of these conditions. 5. Active or recent (e.g., within the past year) arterial thromboembolic disease (e.g., stroke, myocardial infarction). 6. Liver dysfunction or disease. 7. Estradiol tablets should not be used in patients with known hypersensitivity to its ingredients. 8. Known or suspected pregnancy. There is no indication for estradiol tablets in pregnancy. There appears to be little or no increased risk of birth defects in children born to women who have used estrogens and progestins from oral contraceptives inadvertently during early pregnancy (See PRECAUTIONS).

Label for Estradiol, source: openFDA structured product labels · as of Oct 18, 2026

Reported adverse events

What has been reported to the FDA

FAERS is a voluntary reporting system. A high count reflects how widely a drug is used and how often people report, not how dangerous it is, and a report is not proof the drug caused the event.

187,861reports, all-time

96,498flagged serious

pain 18,987
pulmonary embolism 14,183
injury 11,630
deep vein thrombosis 11,588
drug ineffective 11,343
nausea 11,319

Source: openFDA FAERS (drug adverse events) · as of Oct 20, 2026

Common questions

About Estradiol

How much does Estradiol cost?

What is Estradiol used for in fertility treatment?

Estradiol is used to thicken and prepare the endometrium in a programmed (medicated) frozen-embryo-transfer cycle, before progesterone is added and the transfer is scheduled. Taken as tablets, or given as patches or vaginal preparations depending on the protocol. Started early in the cycle before a planned frozen transfer and continued while the lining is monitored by ultrasound, with progesterone added once the lining is ready.

How is Estradiol given?

Oral. Started early in the cycle before a planned frozen transfer and continued while the lining is monitored by ultrasound, with progesterone added once the lining is ready.

Is Estradiol FDA-approved for fertility use?

Other medications in a cycle

Posted cash prices are each seller's own published figure on the date shown; your price depends on the pharmacy, the quantity and your insurance. NADAC is the national average price a pharmacy pays to acquire a drug, not the price you are charged. Dosing here is quoted from the FDA label and is not a prescription: your protocol comes from your clinic. IVFcost.co is an informational data platform, not a medical provider, clinic, or laboratory. Nothing here is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to start, stop, or change any treatment. Success rates depend heavily on individual circumstances and are not a promise of any outcome. Data is aggregated from public sources and can be incomplete or out of date. Always confirm with a licensed clinician and the clinic's own current figures.