What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Apremilast and phenobarbital
Apremilast's FDA label of September 2, 2026 names phenobarbital in its warnings and precautions section; the phenobarbital labels PlainMeds reads (2) do not name apremilast. The apremilast label: “Use with strong cytochrome P450 enzyme inducers is not recommended because loss of efficacy may occur”
Check it at the source: the apremilast FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 2, 2026, Amgen, Inc); the phenobarbital FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 27, 2026).
What does the apremilast label say about phenobarbital?
Apremilast label, warnings and precautionsUse with strong cytochrome P450 enzyme inducers (e.g., rifampin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin) is not recommended because loss of efficacy may occur
Source: FDA drug label (Otezla), Amgen, Inc, effective September 2, 2026 (SPL set f6b1f516-4972-4d82-bced-113e47b41cc5), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the phenobarbital label say about apremilast?
Phenobarbital's label (effective August 27, 2026) and its 1 other brand-application label do not name apremilast in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Phenobarbital), Chartwell RX, LLC, effective August 27, 2026 (SPL set 74428144-fb24-40a5-a670-3b876e2d116c), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Apremilast | Phenobarbital | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Psoriasis | Seizures and epilepsy |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $90.57 per tablet 30 mg tablet | $0.213 per tablet 100 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once