Clindamycin and Mobocertinib: Interaction Details
AI-assisted, pharmacist-reviewed · AI content regenerated Jul 11, 2026 · Source data updated Jul 1, 2026 · Sources: FDA labeling, DDInter 2.0, cited literature
Mobocertinib
Clindamycin
How we grade severity & evidence
Severity levels
- Contraindicated: These should generally not be used together.
- Major: Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
- Moderate: Can be significant — usually manageable with monitoring.
- Minor: Usually limited clinical impact.
Evidence grades
- Established: Well documented — supported by controlled studies or strong clinical data.
- Probable: Good supporting evidence, though not definitively proven.
- Suspected: Some evidence suggests this interaction, but it is not well established.
- Possible: Limited or conflicting evidence; the interaction may occur.
- Theoretical: Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
Ratings come from the documented interaction literature and are reviewed by a pharmacist. They describe the documented risk of the combination, not what will necessarily happen to you — your dose, timing, and health picture all matter.
You've been prescribed mobocertinib (a cancer medicine) along with the antibiotic clindamycin. Mobocertinib can speed up how your body breaks down some medicines that are handled by a liver enzyme called CYP3A. Clindamycin is partly cleared this way, so pairing the two could lower the amount of clindamycin in your blood. If that happens, the antibiotic might not fight your infection as well as it should.
The good news is this concern is based on theory, not on strong real-world reports. Your care team can watch how you respond and adjust things if needed. Please don't stop either medicine on your own, just check in with your pharmacist or doctor.
Effect: Mobocertinib may induce CYP3A-mediated metabolism of clindamycin (a CYP3A substrate), potentially reducing clindamycin exposure (AUC/Cmax) and antibacterial efficacy.
- Direction: Decreased substrate plasma concentration, risk of therapeutic failure. Neither agent is a prodrug requiring CYP3A activation.
- Magnitude: With midazolam, mobocertinib lowered AUC by roughly 16 to 32 percent.
- Onset: Unspecified. Evidence: Theoretical.
- Management: Monitor clinical/microbiologic response; if concomitant use is needed, the clindamycin dose may need to be individualized upward per guidance, or consider an alternative antibiotic.
What happens
Decreased plasma concentrations of the CYP3A substrate, which may result in serious therapeutic failure
Interaction Deep Dive
The combined administration of mobocertinib (a CYP3A inhibitor) alongside a CYP3A substrate that has a narrow therapeutic index should be avoided, because it lowers the plasma levels of the substrate, and even small shifts in concentration can result in serious therapeutic failures. When mobocertinib was given together with midazolam (a CYP3A substrate), the midazolam AUC fell by 32% and 16%, respectively1.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Induction of the metabolism of CYP3A substrates by mobocertinib
How to manage this interaction
Keep taking both medicines exactly as prescribed unless your care team tells you otherwise. Because mobocertinib could lower clindamycin levels, your team's main goal is to make sure the antibiotic still clears your infection.
- Your team may monitor you more closely to confirm the infection is improving.
- The clindamycin dose may need to be adjusted and individualized by your care team, or they may choose a different antibiotic.
- Tell your pharmacist or prescriber if your infection symptoms (fever, redness, drainage) are not getting better or are getting worse.
Management is individual — confirm any change with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Literature reports
1 report — tap to read
a) When mobocertinib 160 mg once daily was given together with midazolam (a CYP3A substrate) by the oral or IV route, the AUC of midazolam fell by 32% and 16%, respectively1.
Common questions
Can I take Clindamycin and Mobocertinib together?
Mobocertinib may lower clindamycin levels and could make the antibiotic less effective, so your care team may monitor your infection closely or adjust the antibiotic. Don't change either medicine on your own. Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Clindamycin and Mobocertinib interaction?
It is rated major. Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
How quickly could this interaction happen?
The documented onset is "unspecified". The timing of this interaction is not well characterized.
How is the Clindamycin and Mobocertinib interaction managed?
Keep taking both medicines exactly as prescribed unless your care team tells you otherwise. Because mobocertinib could lower clindamycin levels, your team's main goal is to make sure the antibiotic still clears your infection. Your team may monitor you more closely to confirm the infection is improving. The clindamycin dose may need to be adjusted and individualized by your care team, or they may… Management is individual — always follow your own care team's guidance.
How strong is the evidence for this interaction?
The evidence is graded "theoretical". Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
From our Q&A
Real reader questions about these medications, each personally answered by our pharmacist:
Questions for your pharmacist
- Does my dose of Clindamycin or Mobocertinib need adjusting while I take them together?
- What symptoms should prompt me to call you or my prescriber right away?
- Does the timing of my doses matter for this combination?
- Is there a safer alternative to one of these medications for me?
References (1)
- Product Information: EXKIVITY(TM) oral capsules, mobocertinib oral capsules. Takeda Pharmaceuticals America Inc (per FDA), Lexington, MA, 2021.
Keep reading about Mobocertinib
Keep reading about Clindamycin
These medications also interact with supplements
Prescription drugs aren't the whole picture — herbal and dietary supplements can interact with them too. From the evidence-graded Natural Medicines database:
major · moderate · minor — check everything you take with our drug–supplement interaction checker.
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