Openfda MCP Server - install, status & alternatives [2026]

01 · Install Openfda MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, OPENFDA_API_KEY before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add cyanheads-openfda-mcp-server --transport http https://openfda.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-openfda-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://openfda.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

https://openfda.caseyjhand.com/mcp

transport: streamable-http

endpoint alive - responded to MCP initialize · probed 2026-08-25

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · remote - your agent's requests go to openfda.caseyjhand.com

endpoint auth accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize - no credentials needed to connect

license Apache-2.0 - declared in the repository

npm package @cyanheads/openfda-mcp-server - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@cyanheads)

registry namespace io.github.cyanheads is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Openfda MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

With this server connected, an agent can search adverse event reports across drugs, food, and devices, search adverse event reports for veterinary drugs and devices, search problem reports for tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vaping devices, and search enforcement reports and recall actions across drugs, food, and devices.

Capability map

Tools grouped from the project's README - what Openfda MCP Server lets an agent do.

Openfda

14 tools - e.g. One drug name → consolidated FDA profile: identity, label, adverse events, recalls, approval, shortage; Search adverse event reports across drugs, food, and devices; Search adverse event reports for…

openfda_drug_profile · openfda_search_adverse_events · openfda_search_animal_events · openfda_search_drug_shortages · openfda_search_tobacco_reports · openfda_search_recalls…

Sections

1 tool - e.g. label highlights, adverse-event summary (top reactions, serious count), recall history, Drugs@FDA approval, and current shortage status

Sections

Best

1 tool - e.g. a miss on any section returns null rather than failing the whole call; use the dedicated tool for a deep dive into any area

Best-effort

Latest releases

v0.7.3 · 2026-08-07

bounded page size and overflow disclosure · Multi-row search tools bound their inline page to a 24,000-byte budget and disclose withheld records on page_bytes/page_omitted, with routes to the rest (#39)…

v0.7.2 · 2026-08-07

Local query validation, count/profile fixes · reject locally-detectable malformed search (unbalanced quotes/parens/range brackets, dangling backslash) before the request, across all ten search-bearing tools (#38, #43)…

v0.7.1 · 2026-07-27

Mirror non-unique-key lookups narrowed to single-record matches · event_id/product_ndc/set_id lookups now serve from the mirror only when the value addresses exactly one record; two or more route live at any page size…

04 · Who maintains Openfda MCP Server

openfda-mcp-server is maintained by cyanheads. We track 125 MCP servers from cyanheads - 124 actively maintained, 1,730 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Dec 2024. Full record: all servers from cyanheads.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/cyanheads/openfda-mcp-server
category: memory - ranked #78 of 259 actively-maintained memory servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-07)
registry: io.github.cyanheads/openfda-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-04-03 · 30 versions)
packages: npm:@cyanheads/openfda-mcp-server · npm:@cyanheads/openfda-mcp-server

06 · Openfda MCP Server FAQ

Is Openfda MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-07 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

What can Openfda MCP Server do?

With this server connected, an agent can search adverse event reports across drugs, food, and devices, search adverse event reports for veterinary drugs and devices, search problem reports for tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vaping devices, and search enforcement reports and recall actions across drugs, food, and devices.

How do I install Openfda MCP Server?

Run `npx -y @cyanheads/openfda-mcp-server`. The README documents 3 environment variables (MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, OPENFDA_API_KEY) to set first. Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, OPENFDA_API_KEY before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Openfda MCP Server require authentication?

No - the endpoint accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize when probed on 2026-08-25; you can connect without credentials.

07 · Alternatives to Openfda MCP Server

Alternatives to Openfda MCP Server

Maintained memory servers if Openfda MCP Server isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Openfda MCP Server doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

More memory MCP servers · Dakera MCP · Inspeximus · Mnemo · Elesync · Deep Mem

More TypeScript MCP servers · Openfec MCP Server · Openlibrary MCP Server · Openstreetmap MCP Server · Orcid MCP Server · Paleobiology MCP Server · see all