What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Bexarotene and erythromycin
Bexarotene's FDA label (Targretin) of February 3, 2020 names erythromycin in its drug interactions section; the erythromycin labels PlainMeds reads (4) do not name bexarotene. The bexarotene label: “On the basis of the metabolism of bexarotene by cytochrome P450 3A4, concomitant ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin and grapefruit juice could increase bexarotene plasma concentrations.”
Check it at the source: the bexarotene FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 30, 2020, Bausch Health US, LLC); the erythromycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 1, 2024, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.).
What does the bexarotene label say about erythromycin?
Targretin label (Bausch Health US, LLC, February 3, 2020), drug interactionsOn the basis of the metabolism of bexarotene by cytochrome P450 3A4, concomitant ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin and grapefruit juice could increase bexarotene plasma concentrations.
Source: FDA drug label (Targretin, NDA021056), Bausch Health US, LLC, effective February 3, 2020 (SPL set d35b4697-3f3b-4aa1-b5d9-153993e83811), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Targretin), Bausch Health US, LLC, effective April 30, 2020 (SPL set 1d056725-0576-4338-8089-6336e768ccdc), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the erythromycin label say about bexarotene?
Erythromycin's label (effective August 1, 2024) and its 3 other brand-application labels do not name bexarotene in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Erythromycin), Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., effective August 1, 2024 (SPL set 75a0bd5a-d09f-483b-bfd8-f8343b149eb2), 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
| Bexarotene | Erythromycin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma | Bacterial infections, Acne |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | n/a | $1.96 per tablet 250 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
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