Relugolix and Oxaliplatin: Interaction Details
AI-assisted, pharmacist-reviewed · AI content regenerated Jul 11, 2026 · Source data updated Jul 2, 2026 · Sources: FDA labeling, DDInter 2.0, cited literature
Relugolix
Oxaliplatin
No brand names on record
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 relugolix (Orgovyx) along with the chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin. Both of these medicines can affect the timing of your heartbeat, something doctors call the QT interval. When two drugs that do this are taken together, the effect can add up and, in rare cases, lead to an irregular heartbeat.
The good news is this concern is based on how the drugs work rather than lots of real-world reports. Your care team can watch for it easily. Please keep taking both medicines as prescribed, and let your doctor or pharmacist know if you feel a racing heart, dizziness, or fainting. They can keep you safe with simple checks.
Effect: Additive QT interval prolongation when relugolix is combined with oxaliplatin (both are QT-prolonging agents). Androgen deprivation from relugolix can itself prolong QT; oxaliplatin adds pharmacodynamic risk.
- Direction: Additive PD effect, increased torsades risk. Neither is a prodrug relevant here.
- Evidence: Theoretical; severity rated major.
- Higher-risk patients: congenital long QT, CHF, electrolyte abnormalities.
- Management: Avoid concomitant use when possible. If required, correct and maintain K+ and Mg2+, avoid agents causing hypokalemia/hypomagnesemia, and consider periodic ECG and electrolyte monitoring.
What happens
Increased risk of QT interval prolongation
Interaction Deep Dive
When relugolix is given together with medications that prolong the QT interval, the effects on the QT interval are additive. The androgen deprivation produced by GnRH agonists and antagonists can itself lengthen the QT interval. In patients who have congenital long QT syndrome, congestive heart failure, or recurrent electrolyte disturbances, as well as those receiving drugs recognized to prolong the QT interval, weigh whether the advantages of androgen deprivation therapy such as relugolix are greater than the possible risks 1. Where feasible, do not use relugolix alongside QT prolonging agents. Should coadministration be necessary, steer clear of drugs that produce electrolyte abnormalities (that is, hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia) 2, correct any electrolyte abnormalities, and consider periodic monitoring of ECGs and electrolytes 1.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Additive QT interval prolongation
How to manage this interaction
Both drugs can lengthen the QT interval, so your care team manages this with a few practical steps:
- They will weigh the benefits of relugolix against the QT risk, especially if you have heart failure, a known long QT condition, or electrolyte problems.
- When possible, they may choose an alternative, but if both are needed together they can monitor you closely.
- Expect possible periodic ECGs and blood tests to check potassium and magnesium, keeping those levels corrected.
What you should do: Keep taking both as prescribed. Report any fainting, palpitations, or dizziness, and ask your pharmacist before adding any new medicine.
Management is individual — confirm any change with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Literature reports
1 report — tap to read
a) In an analysis of male patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) using individual case safety reports from the international pharmacovigilance database VigiBase, investigators identified 184 cases of acquired long-QT syndrome (aLQTS) and/or torsades de pointes (TdP; 11% of cases fatal), along with 99 cases of sudden death linked to ADT. The majority of aLQTS/TdP cases (62%) and sudden death cases (88%) linked to ADT arose without concurrent use of other agents known to elevate TdP risk; nevertheless, use of 1 drug and of 2 or more drugs with conditional, possible, or known TdP risk was reported in a portion of aLQTS/TdP events (23% or 43%) and sudden death events (18% and 22%). The agents classified as ADTs included abiraterone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists and antagonists, nonsteroidal androgen receptor inhibitors indicated for prostate cancer, and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors indicated for androgenic alopecia and prostatism. Among the 10 ADTs assessed, 7 showed a disproportional association (reporting odds ratio, 1.4 to 4.7) with aLQTS, TdP, or sudden death, namely leuprorelin, goserelin, triptorelin, degarelix, bicalutamide, finasteride, and dutasteride. The median patient age was about 76 years, and the median time to onset was 170 days (range, 7 to 4884 days) for aLQTS/TdP events and 92 days (range, 0.25 to 4984 days) for sudden death events. Patients were receiving ADT chiefly for prostate cancer, with some treated for prostatism and androgenic alopecia. Most patients were on ADT monotherapy (83%); 17% were receiving ADT combination therapy 3.
Common questions
Can I take Relugolix and Oxaliplatin together?
Relugolix and oxaliplatin can each prolong the QT interval, so taking them together may add up and raise the risk of an irregular heartbeat; your care team can manage this with electrolyte checks and periodic ECGs, so keep both as prescribed and report palpitations or fainting. Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Relugolix and Oxaliplatin 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 Relugolix and Oxaliplatin interaction managed?
Both drugs can lengthen the QT interval, so your care team manages this with a few practical steps: They will weigh the benefits of relugolix against the QT risk, especially if you have heart failure, a known long QT condition, or electrolyte problems. When possible, they may choose an alternative, but if both are needed together they can monitor you closely. Expect possible periodic ECGs and bloo… 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.
Questions for your pharmacist
- Does my dose of Relugolix or Oxaliplatin 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 (3)
- Product Information: ORGOVYX oral tablets, relugolix oral tablets. Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc (per FDA), Marlborough, MA, 2025. DailyMed
- Lyon AR, Lopez-Fernandez T, Couch LS, et al: 2022 ESC guidelines on cardio-oncology developed in collaboration with the European Hematology Association (EHA), the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) and the International Cardio-Oncology Society (IC-OS). Eur Heart J 2022; 43(41):4229-4361.
- Salem JE, Yang T, Moslehi JJ, et al: Androgenic effects on ventricular repolarization: a translational study from the international pharmacovigilance database to iPSC-cardiomyocytes. Circulation 2019; 140(13):1070-1080. PubMed
Keep reading about Relugolix
Keep reading about Oxaliplatin
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