Drug & supplement interaction

Kudzu + Lurbinectedin

Lurbinectedin brand name: Zepzelca.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Kudzu has a moderate interaction with Lurbinectedin. Theoretically, concomitant use might have additive hepatotoxic effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Kudzu and Lurbinectedin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Lurbinectedin

Lurbinectedin falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Kudzu interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might have additive hepatotoxic effects.
There is some concern that kudzu can adversely affect the liver.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) is a strong chemotherapy drug that's already known to be tough on the liver. It can push up liver enzyme numbers on your bloodwork, and your cancer team watches those labs closely. Kudzu has its own reputation for occasionally stressing the liver too. The worry with using both is that the liver strain could add up.

I want to be honest about how solid this is: it's theoretical, based on how each one behaves, not on real cases of people taking them together. Lurbinectedin is not a prodrug, so this isn't about kudzu making it stronger or weaker. It's just two things that can each be hard on the liver. Since you're on serious cancer treatment, please run any kudzu (or any supplement) past your oncology pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kim HJ, Kim H, Ahn JH, Suk JH. Liver injury induced by herbal extracts containing mistletoe and kudzu. J Altern Complement Med 2015;21(3):180-5. PubMed
  2. Santosh N, Mohan K, Royana S, Yamini TB. Hepatotoxicity of tubers of Indian Kudzu (Pueraria tuberosa) in rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Apr;48(4):1066-71. PubMed
  3. Teschke R, Zhang L, Long H, Schwarzenboeck A, Schmidt-Taenzer W, Genthner A, Wolff A, Frenzel C, Schulze J, Eickhoff A. Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal hepatotoxicity: a tabular compilation of reported cases. Ann Hepatol. 2015 Jan-Feb;14(1):7-19. DOI
  4. Wang D, Qiu L, Wu X, Wei H, Xu F. Evaluation of kudzu root extract-induced hepatotoxicity. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Dec 24;176:321-6. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Kudzu Also Interacts With Other Medications

Kudzu has 511 moderate, 72 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Lurbinectedin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 511 Minor 72 No known interaction 2,247 (incl. Lurbinectedin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Kudzu

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Kudzu. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Lurbinectedin

This page covers Kudzu only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lurbinectedin page lists 156 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 122 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lurbinectedin page

“Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) is chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer, and with a drug this potent the 156 supplement interactions on file warrant real attention. Five carry a major rating, and those are the ones to understand first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lurbinectedin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Kudzu as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 536 real supplement products containing Kudzu, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Kudzu. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Lurbinectedin too, on top of Kudzu — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Kudzu and Lurbinectedin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Kudzu
Top 25%

#292 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Lurbinectedin
Steady interest

#2,552 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Kudzu

What is Kudzu?

Kudzu
  • Alcohol cravings and reduction
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Heart and blood vessel health
  • Hangover relief
  • Traditional Chinese medicine (Ge Gen)

Kudzu is a fast-growing vine whose root has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and is now studied mostly for reducing alcohol intake. Early research is promising for cutting back on drinking, but evidence for most other uses is weak. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Kudzu monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lurbinectedin Injection

What Is Lurbinectedin Injection Used For?

Brand name: Zepzelca

Zepzelca (lurbinectedin) injection is approved for adults with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in two settings. First, Zepzelca is used in combination with atezolizumab (or atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs) as maintenance treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) in patients whose disease did not progress after initial treatment with those same immunotherapy drugs plus carboplatin and etoposide.

Second, Zepzelca is approved as a single agent for adults with metastatic small cell lung cancer whose cancer has worsened during or after platinum-based chemotherapy. This second use was granted accelerated approval based on tumor response rates, and continued approval depends on results from confirmatory clinical trials.

See full Lurbinectedin Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Kudzu

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Kudzu — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
511Moderate
72Minor
2,246No known interaction
511 Moderate 72 Minor 2,246 No interaction
Moderate

511 interactions

Showing 60 of 511 moderate interactions — see all 511 on the Kudzu page.

Minor

72 interactions

Showing 60 of 72 minor interactions — see all 72 on the Kudzu page.

No interaction 2,246 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Kudzu against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,246 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Kudzu list.

See the full Kudzu interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lurbinectedin, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Kudzu monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Lurbinectedin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Lurbinectedin, ranked by severity Lurbinectedin Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Kudzu and Lurbinectedin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Kudzu with Lurbinectedin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Kudzu and Lurbinectedin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Lurbinectedin and Kudzu?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.