What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Pembrolizumab and thalidomide
Thalidomide's FDA label of March 24, 2023 names pembrolizumab in its warnings and precautions section; the pembrolizumab label PlainMeds reads does not name thalidomide. The thalidomide label: “Increased Mortality: Observed in patients with MM when pembrolizumab was added to dexamethasone and a thalidomide analogue.”
Check it at the source: the pembrolizumab FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 10, 2026, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC); the thalidomide FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 24, 2023, Celgene Corporation).
What does the pembrolizumab label say about thalidomide?
Pembrolizumab's label (effective July 10, 2026) does not name thalidomide 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
What does the thalidomide label say about pembrolizumab?
Thalidomide label, warnings and precautionsIncreased Mortality: Observed in patients with MM when pembrolizumab was added to dexamethasone and a thalidomide analogue.
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
| Pembrolizumab | Thalidomide | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Lung cancer, Colorectal cancer, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Breast cancer | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma |
| Boxed warning | No | 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