What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Lenalidomide and thalidomide
Lenalidomide's FDA label of March 24, 2023 names thalidomide in its boxed warning section; the thalidomide label PlainMeds reads does not name lenalidomide. The lenalidomide label: “… pregnancy, similar to birth defects observed in humans following exposure to thalidomide during pregnancy.”
Check it at the source: the lenalidomide FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 24, 2023, Celgene Corporation); the thalidomide FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 24, 2023, Celgene Corporation).
What does the lenalidomide label say about thalidomide?
Lenalidomide label, boxed warningThalidomide is a known human teratogen that causes severe life-threatening human birth defects.
Lenalidomide label, contraindicationsDue to the results of this developmental monkey study, and lenalidomide's structural similarities to thalidomide, a known human teratogen, lenalidomide is contraindicated in females who are pregnant [see Boxed Warning ].
Lenalidomide label, warnings and precautionsAn embryo-fetal development study in monkeys indicates that lenalidomide produced malformations in the offspring of female monkeys who received the drug during pregnancy, similar to birth defects observed in humans following exposure to thalidomide during pregnancy.
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 thalidomide label say about lenalidomide?
Thalidomide's label (effective March 24, 2023) 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 (Thalomid), NDA020785 (Bristol-Myers), as published by Celgene Corporation, effective March 24, 2023 (SPL set 2eda833b-1357-4ed4-a093-194524fcb061), 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 | Thalidomide | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| 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