What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Lenalidomide and pembrolizumab
Lenalidomide's FDA label of March 24, 2023 names pembrolizumab in its warnings and precautions section; the pembrolizumab label PlainMeds reads does not name lenalidomide. The lenalidomide label: “Increased Mortality: Observed in patients with MM when pembrolizumab was added to dexamethasone and a thalidomide analogue.”
Check it at the source: the lenalidomide FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 24, 2023, Celgene Corporation); the pembrolizumab FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 10, 2026, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC).
What does the lenalidomide label say about pembrolizumab?
Lenalidomide label, warnings and precautionsIncreased Mortality: Observed in patients with MM when pembrolizumab was added to dexamethasone and a thalidomide analogue ( 5.7 ).
Source: FDA drug label (Revlimid), NDA021880 (Bristol Myers Squibb), as published by Celgene Corporation, effective March 24, 2023 (SPL set 5fa97bf5-28a2-48f1-8955-f56012d296be), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the pembrolizumab label say about lenalidomide?
Pembrolizumab's label (effective July 10, 2026) does not name lenalidomide in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (KEYTRUDA), Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, effective July 10, 2026 (SPL set 9333c79b-d487-4538-a9f0-71b91a02b287), 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
| Lenalidomide | Pembrolizumab | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia | Lung cancer, Colorectal cancer, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Breast cancer |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | n/a | 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