What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Clarithromycin and erlotinib
Erlotinib's FDA label of June 10, 2024 names clarithromycin in its drug interactions section; the clarithromycin label PlainMeds reads does not name erlotinib. The erlotinib label: “Avoid co-administering erlotinib with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or a combined CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 inhibitor (e.g., ciprofloxacin).”
Check it at the source: the clarithromycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 9, 2026, Solaris Pharma Corporation); the erlotinib FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 10, 2024, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited).
What does the clarithromycin label say about erlotinib?
Clarithromycin's label (effective April 9, 2026) does not name erlotinib in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Clarithromycin), Solaris Pharma Corporation, effective April 9, 2026 (SPL set 4d42821d-ce7a-7d64-e063-6294a90a0875), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the erlotinib label say about clarithromycin?
Erlotinib label, drug interactionsAvoid co-administering erlotinib with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., boceprevir, clarithromycin, conivaptan, indinavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lopinavir/ritonavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, posaconazole, ritonavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, voriconazole, grapefruit or grapefruit juice) or a combined CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 inhibitor (e.g., ciprofloxacin).
Source: FDA drug label (ERLOTINIB HYDROCHLORIDE), Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited, effective June 10, 2024 (SPL set ab6f3cb3-34a8-4492-a5d7-fb6b055a2d6b), 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
| Clarithromycin | Erlotinib | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Acid reflux and ulcers | Lung cancer |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.466 per tablet 500 mg tablet | n/a |
| 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