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rolapitant Side Effects

Also known as: Varubi

Analysis of 531 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2013 to 2025.

Total Reports

531

Death-Related

161

30.3% of reports

Hospitalizations

114

21.5% of reports

Top Indication

Nausea

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DEATH
141
NAUSEA
79
FATIGUE
50
INFUSION RELATED REACTION
40
DYSPNOEA
34
DECREASED APPETITE
33
FLUSHING
32
DIARRHOEA
29
THROMBOCYTOPENIA
29
DEHYDRATION
22
VOMITING
22
CHEST DISCOMFORT
21
ANAEMIA
20
BACK PAIN
19
WEIGHT DECREASED
17
ASTHENIA
15
CONSTIPATION
15
DIZZINESS
15
PLASMA CELL MYELOMA
15
PLATELET COUNT DECREASED
15

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 235 (57%)
Male 176 (43%)

Age Distribution

18-44 21 (9%)
45-64 120 (50%)
65-74 75 (31%)
75+ 25 (10%)

Reporting Trend by Year

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 161 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 141
ACUTE INTERSTITIAL PNEUMONITIS 9
RESPIRATORY SYMPTOM 9
NAUSEA 5
PNEUMONIA 4
THROMBOCYTOPENIA 4
ANAEMIA 3
HOSPITALISATION 3
NEOPLASM MALIGNANT 3
CONSTIPATION 2
DECREASED APPETITE 2
DEHYDRATION 2
DISEASE PROGRESSION 2
FATIGUE 2
HAEMOGLOBIN DECREASED 2
HEADACHE 2
HYPERKALAEMIA 2
MALAISE 2
PRODUCT USE ISSUE 2
WEIGHT DECREASED 2

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 114 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
NAUSEA 18
DECREASED APPETITE 12
HOSPITALISATION 12
FATIGUE 10
DEATH 9
DIARRHOEA 9
THROMBOCYTOPENIA 9
DISEASE PROGRESSION 7
DYSPNOEA 7
MALAISE 7
PNEUMONIA 7
ASTHENIA 6
CHEST PAIN 6
CONSTIPATION 6
DEHYDRATION 6
PLASMA CELL MYELOMA 6
ANAEMIA 5
ARTHRALGIA 5
BLOOD COUNT ABNORMAL 5
CARDIAC FAILURE 5

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About rolapitant Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 531 voluntary reports linked to rolapitant and its brand equivalents (Varubi), spanning 2013 through 2025. Of those, 161 (30.3%) listed death as an outcome and 114 (21.5%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Nausea.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 57% were female and 43% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 120 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is death with 141 submissions, followed by nausea and fatigue.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.