What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Doxorubicin and prednisone
Doxorubicin's FDA label of May 5, 2026 names prednisone in its drug interactions section; the prednisone label PlainMeds reads does not name doxorubicin. The doxorubicin label: “In 11 patients with refractory leukemia treated with 6-mercaptopurine and doxorubicin hydrochloride alone or with vincristine and prednisone, all developed hepatic dysfunction manifested by increased total serum …”
Check it at the source: the doxorubicin FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 5, 2026, Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc); the prednisone FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 22, 2025, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.).
What does the doxorubicin label say about prednisone?
Doxorubicin label, drug interactionsIn 11 patients with refractory leukemia treated with 6-mercaptopurine (500 mg/m 2 intravenously daily for 5 days per cycle every 2–3 weeks) and doxorubicin hydrochloride (50 mg/m 2 intravenous once per cycle every 2–3 weeks) alone or with vincristine and prednisone, all developed hepatic dysfunction manifested by increased total serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase.
Source: FDA drug label (Doxorubicin Hydrochloride), Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc, effective May 5, 2026 (SPL set 1fd148fb-0fbc-4b6f-b790-23546fb46a71), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the prednisone label say about doxorubicin?
Prednisone's label (effective April 22, 2025) does not name doxorubicin in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (PredniSONE), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective April 22, 2025 (SPL set 3115aef0-fd50-4ec8-a064-3effb695f3f2), 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
| Doxorubicin | Prednisone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Breast cancer | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia, Organ transplant rejection |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | n/a | $0.0643 per tablet 20 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