What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Leflunomide and paclitaxel
Leflunomide's FDA label of June 4, 2025 names paclitaxel in its drug interactions section; the paclitaxel labels PlainMeds reads (4) do not name leflunomide. The leflunomide label: “In patients taking ARAVA, exposure of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8 may be increased.”
Check it at the source: the leflunomide FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 4, 2025, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC); the paclitaxel FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 21, 2026, Natco Pharma USA LLC).
What does the leflunomide label say about paclitaxel?
Leflunomide label, drug interactionsIn patients taking ARAVA, exposure of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8 (e.g., paclitaxel, pioglitazone, repaglinide, rosiglitazone) may be increased.
Source: FDA drug label (Arava), sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, effective June 4, 2025 (SPL set 320f63f2-fac3-4aee-aff8-85724e00ef52), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the paclitaxel label say about leflunomide?
Paclitaxel's label (effective January 21, 2026) and its 3 other brand-application labels do not name leflunomide in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Paclitaxel), Natco Pharma USA LLC, effective January 21, 2026 (SPL set a1eb16b4-285b-4e81-9c4e-1244d4a52af8), 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
| Leflunomide | Paclitaxel | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Rheumatoid arthritis | Breast cancer, Lung cancer |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.324 per tablet 10 mg tablet | n/a |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | 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