Ixabepilone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Ixabepilone is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand, for breast neoplasms. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats
- Breast Neoplasms
- Available as
- Kit
- Sold as
- Ixempra Kit
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
How ixabepilone is dosed
From the FDA label for Ixempra Kit (application NDA022065). Other ixabepilone products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
The recommended dosage of IXEMPRA is 40 mg/m 2 administered as a 3-hour intravenous infusion once every 3 weeks ( 2.2 ). Dose reduction is required in patients with elevated AST, ALT, or bilirubin.( 2.3, 8.6 ) IXEMPRA must be reconstituted with the supplied DILUENT and further diluted to a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL to 0.6 mg/mL prior to administration ( 2.6 ). 2.1 Premedication All patients must be premedicated approximately 1 hour before the infusion of IXEMPRA with: An H 1 antagonist (eg, diphenhydramine 50 mg orally or equivalent) and An H 2 antagonist (eg, ranitidine 150 - 300 mg orally or equivalent). Patients who experienced a hypersensitivity reaction to IXEMPRA require premedication with corticosteroids (eg, dexamethasone 20 mg intravenously, 30 minutes before infusion or orally, 60 minutes before infusion) in addition to pretreatment with H 1 and H 2 antagonists [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage of IXEMPRA is 40 mg/m 2 administered intravenously over 3 hours every 3 weeks. Calculate doses for patients with body surface area (BSA) greater than 2.2 m 2 should be calculated based on 2.2 m 2 . 2.3 Dosage Modification for Adverse Reactions Evaluate patients during treatment by periodic clinical observation and laboratory tests including complete blood cell counts [see the Warnings and Precautions ( 5 )]. Dosage…
Ixabepilone side effects
The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections. Peripheral neuropathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Hypersensitivity reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Cardiac Adverse reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5) ] The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) are peripheral sensory neuropathy, fatigue/asthenia, myalgia/arthralgia, alopecia, nausea, vomiting, stomatitis/mucositis, diarrhea, and musculoskeletal pain. Additional reactions occurred in ≥20% in combination treatment: palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, anorexia, abdominal pain, nail disorder, and constipation ( 6 ). Hematologic laboratory abnormalities (>40%) include neutropenia, leukopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia ( 6 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact R-Pharm US at 1-844-586-8953 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, the adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in other clinical trials and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Unless otherwise specified, assessment of adverse reactions is based on one randomized study (Study 046) and one single-arm study (Study 081). In Study 046, 369…
Who shouldn’t take ixabepilone
IXEMPRA is contraindicated in patients who have: a neutrophil count <1500 cells/mm 3 or a platelet count <100,000 cells/mm 3 [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. a history of severe hypersensitivity to agents containing Cremophor ® EL or its derivatives (e.g., polyoxyethylated castor oil) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )]. IXEMPRA in combination with capecitabine is contraindicated in patients with AST or ALT >2.5 x ULN or bilirubin >1 x ULN [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )]. Baseline neutrophil count <1500 cells/mm 3 or a platelet count <100,000 cells/mm 3 ( 4 ). Hypersensitivity to drugs formulated with Cremophor ® EL ( 4 ). IXEMPRA in combination with capecitabine is contraindicated for use in patients with AST or ALT >2.5 x ULN or bilirubin >1 x ULN.( 4 ).
Ixabepilone drug interactions
Strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors: Avoid strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. If coadministration cannot be avoided, reduce the dosage of IXEMPRA ( 2.5 , 7.1 ). Strong CYP3A4 Inducers: Avoid strong CYP3A4 inducers. If coadministration cannot be avoided, reduce the dosage of IXEMPRA ( 2.5 , 7.1 ). 7.1 Effect of Other Drugs on IXEMPRA Strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors The coadministration of IXEMPRA with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor increased ixabepilone plasma concentration, which may increase the incidence and severity of adverse reactions of IXEMPRA. Avoid coadministration of IXEMPRA with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. If the coadministration of IXEMPRA with strong CYP3A4 cannot be avoided, reduce the dose of IXEMPRA [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ]. Moderate or Weak CYP3A4 Inhibitors The coadministration of IXEMPRA with moderate or weak CYP3A4 inhibitors may increase the incidence and severity of adverse reactions of IXEMPRA. Monitor for adverse reactions and reduce the dose of IXEMPRA as recommended [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6 )]. Strong CYP3A4 Inducers The coadministration of IXEMPRA with a strong CYP3A4 inducer, decreased plasma concentrations of ixabepilone, which may decrease the efficacy of IXEMPRA [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. Avoid the coadministration IXEMPRA with strong CYP3A4 inducers. If the coadministration of IXEMPRA with a strong CYP3A4 inducer cannot be avoided, increase the dose of IXEMPRA [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 )]. Concomitant Use of IXEMPRA and Capecitabine No clinically meaningful differences in the pharmacokinetics of ixabepilone and capecitabine were observed when IXEMPRA was administered in combination with capecitabine (1000 mg/m 2 ) [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. 7.2 Effect of Ixabepilone on Other Drugs Ixabepilone does not inhibit CYP enzymes at relevant clinical concentrations and is not expected to alter the plasma concentrations of other drugs [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. 7.3 Capecitabine In patients with cancer who received ixabepilone (40 mg/m 2 ) in combination with capecitabine (1000 mg/m 2 ), ixabepilone Cmax decreased by 19%, capecitabine Cmax decreased by 27%, and 5-fluorouracil AUC increased by 14%, as compared to ixabepilone or capecitabine administered separately. The interaction is not clinically significant given that the combination treatment is supported by efficacy data.
Every ixabepilone product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Ixempra Kit.
What people report to the FDA about ixabepilone
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 671 reports naming ixabepilone, and the FDA flagged 96% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- anaemia87 reports
- vomiting78 reports
- fatigue70 reports
- nausea68 reports
- diarrhoea67 reports
- neutrophil count decreased65 reports
- white blood cell count decreased64 reports
- dehydration51 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean ixabepilone caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is ixabepilone?
IXEMPRA (ixabepilone) is a microtubule inhibitor belonging to a class of antineoplastic agents, the epothilones and their analogs. The epothilones are isolated from the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum.
Can you take ixabepilone with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run ixabepilone against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does ixabepilone come in?
Across the brands we track, ixabepilone is currently marketed as kit, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic ixabepilone?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled ixabepilone product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Ixabepilone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ixabepilone
- MLA
- “Ixabepilone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ixabepilone.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for ixabepilone on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.