Prescription medication · Aromatase Inhibitor (Steroidal)
exemestane
Also sold as Aromasin. Exemestane is used to treat breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 20,856
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 3
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 98% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- $36.67
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
exemestane (Aromasin) is a prescription Aromatase Inhibitor (Steroidal), reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (20,856 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 98% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
exemestane (Aromasin) is a prescription Aromatase Inhibitor (Steroidal). Exemestane is used to treat breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause.
Exemestane is a medicine used to treat breast cancer in women after menopause. It lowers estrogen levels in the body.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$36.67/unit
Generic Price
$0.67/unit
Generic Savings
98%
Generic Available
Yes (6 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
NADAC price trail: EXEMESTANE 25 MG TABLET
Same CMS presentation as the headline generic unit price above (2 effective dates). Adjacent % compares consecutive NADAC releases for this description only, not a patient out-of-pocket quote. Latest step: -22.4% vs prior release.
| Effective | NADAC / unit | vs prior | NDCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 21, 2024 | $0.8666/EA | - | 1 |
| December 18, 2024 | $0.6729/EA | -22.4% | 9 |
What it does
Exemestane is used to treat breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause.
Common side effects
Hot flashes, Feeling tired, Joint pain
Key warnings
Exemestane can cause bone thinning (lower bone mineral density).
The sections below are summarized in plain English from exemestane's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Exemestane blocks a substance called aromatase in your body. Aromatase makes estrogen. By blocking aromatase, exemestane lowers the amount of estrogen, which can slow the growth of breast cancer cells.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 20,856 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for exemestane, by number of reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
2,174 reports
- Malignant Neoplasm Progression
Malignant Neoplasm Progression
1,772 reports
- Arthralgia
Arthralgia
1,678 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
1,675 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
1,661 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
1,372 reports
- Pain
Pain
1,111 reports
- Asthenia
Asthenia
1,065 reports
- Malaise
Malaise
1,049 reports
- Headache
Headache
1,047 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for exemestane each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where exemestane sits
exemestane has more FDA adverse-event reports than 56% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is exemestane; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 20,856 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2003–2025.
Total Reports
20,856
Reports Mentioning Death
2,477
11.9% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
5,181
Top Indication
Breast Cancer
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FATIGUE | 2,174 |
| 2 | MALIGNANT NEOPLASM PROGRESSION | 1,772 |
| 3 | ARTHRALGIA | 1,678 |
| 4 | NAUSEA | 1,675 |
| 5 | DIARRHOEA | 1,661 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 1,372 |
| 7 | PAIN | 1,111 |
| 8 | ASTHENIA | 1,065 |
| 9 | MALAISE | 1,049 |
| 10 | HEADACHE | 1,047 |
| 11 | COUGH | 1,001 |
| 12 | VOMITING | 971 |
| 13 | DISEASE PROGRESSION | 961 |
| 14 | DEATH | 927 |
| 15 | NEOPLASM PROGRESSION | 923 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Exemestane can cause bone thinning (lower bone mineral density). Your doctor should check your vitamin D levels before you start taking exemestane. If you could get pregnant, exemestane can harm an unborn baby. Use effective birth control while taking this medicine.
Known Drug Interactions
Drugs That Induce CYP 3A4 Co-medications that induce CYP 3A4 (e.g., rifampicin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or St.
Mechanism: Carbamazepine makes your body break down exemestane faster, which could make it less effective.
Drugs That Induce CYP 3A4 Co-medications that induce CYP 3A4 (e.g., rifampicin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or St.
Mechanism: Phenytoin speeds up the liver's ability to clear exemestane from your system.
Drugs That Induce CYP 3A4 Co-medications that induce CYP 3A4 (e.g., rifampicin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or St.
Mechanism: Phenobarbital causes your body to process and remove exemestane more quickly than normal.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take exemestane if I am still having periods?
Will exemestane cure my breast cancer?
Can I take estrogen supplements while taking exemestane?
How long will I need to take exemestane?
What should I do if I have severe side effects?
Will exemestane cause weight gain?
Can I drink alcohol while taking exemestane?
Does exemestane interact with other medications?
Will exemestane cause hair loss?
How often will my bone density be checked?
What are the common side effects of exemestane?
Does exemestane interact with other medications?
What drug class is exemestane?
Is there a generic version of exemestane?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for exemestane?
Related Medications in Aromatase Inhibitor (Steroidal)
Other drugs grouped near exemestane - same-class peers and common alternatives.
abiraterone
Zytiga
Abiraterone (Zytiga) is a medicine used with prednisone to treat prostate cancer that has spread.
Compare with exemestane →
anastrozole
Arimidex
Anastrozole is a medicine used to treat breast cancer in women after menopause.
Compare with exemestane →
bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens
Duavee
Duavee is a combination medicine containing estrogen and a drug that blocks estrogen in some parts of the body.
Compare with exemestane →
cabergoline
Dostinex
Cabergoline is a medicine that helps lower the amount of prolactin in your body.
Compare with exemestane →
clomiphene
Clomid, Serophene
Clomiphene citrate is a medicine that helps women ovulate.
Compare with exemestane →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for exemestane: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 20,856.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 11.88%.
- tobramycin Δ 0.01 pts · 23,287 reports · Aminoglycoside Antibiotic 11.87%death share
- clonidine Δ 0.02 pts · 49,370 reports · Central Alpha-2 Agonist 11.86%death share
- zolpidem Δ 0.04 pts · 131,653 reports · Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotic (Z-Drug) 11.92%death share
- cefuroxime Δ 0.07 pts · 11,087 reports · Second-Generation Cephalosporin 11.94%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on exemestane
Compare prices and find discounts at pharmacies near you. Free coupons can save up to 80% on prescriptions.
Disclosure: This link may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms.
What the FDA Data Shows for exemestane
The FDA label for exemestane (sold under brand names such as Aromasin) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Aromatase Inhibitor (Steroidal) class. Exemestane is used to treat breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Hot flashes, Feeling tired, Joint pain.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 20,856 voluntary reports. The database also lists 3 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.67 versus $36.67 for the brand - a 98% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: May 29, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages