Drug & supplement interaction

Neem + Acalabrutinib

Acalabrutinib brand name: Calquence.

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

Acalabrutinib falls into 2 drug categories that Neem can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, neem leaf extract might increase the levels and clinical effects of P-glycoprotein substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Neem and Acalabrutinib

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Neem interacts with whole categories of medication. Acalabrutinib falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Neem in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acalabrutinib

Acalabrutinib falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Neem interacts with.

Theoretically, neem leaf extract might increase the levels and clinical effects of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research shows that neem leaf methanol extract inhibits renal P-glycoprotein transport activity. So far, this reaction has not been reported in humans.
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 gist for Calquence (acalabrutinib). Your body uses a kind of cellular pump called P-glycoprotein to help move this drug along. Lab studies suggest neem leaf extract may slow that pump down. If the pump works slower, a bit more acalabrutinib could stay in your system, which in theory might bump up the chance of side effects like bruising, bleeding, headaches, tiredness, or infections.

I want to be honest about how shaky this is. The concern comes only from test-tube research, and it has never actually been reported in a real person, so this is more caution than alarm. Still, with a cancer therapy, I wouldn't combine the two on your own. Please run any neem product past your oncologist or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Amaeze O, Marques ES, Wei W, et al. Evaluation of Nigerian Medicinal Plants Extract on Human P-glycoprotein and Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Induction: Implications for Herb-drug Interaction. Curr Drug Metab. 2021;22(14):1103-1113. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Acalabrutinib also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, neem leaf extract might increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that neem leaf methanol extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes. So far, this reaction has not been reported in humans.
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

Your body clears acalabrutinib (Calquence) mainly through a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. In lab dish studies, neem leaf extract seems to slow that enzyme down. If it did the same thing in your body, less acalabrutinib would be broken down, so the drug could build up. That might mean stronger effects and a higher chance of side effects like bruising or bleeding, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, or a greater risk of infection.

Here's the reassuring part: this is only a theoretical concern based on test-tube work, and it has never actually been reported in people. Still, since this is a cancer medicine where the dose really matters, please don't add neem without first checking with your oncology team or pharmacist.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Amaeze O, Eng H, Horlbogen L, Varma MVS, Slitt A. Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Inhibition and Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Medicinal Plant Extracts Used for Management of Diabetes in Nigeria. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2021;46(3):437-450. 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

Neem Also Interacts With Other Medications

Neem has 1,012 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acalabrutinib one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,012 No known interaction 1,818 (incl. Acalabrutinib)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Neem

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acalabrutinib

This page covers Neem only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acalabrutinib page lists 144 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 103 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acalabrutinib page

“For anyone taking acalabrutinib (Calquence) for chronic lymphocytic leukemia or lymphoma, the supplement list below deserves genuine scrutiny. Of 144 ingredients on file, nearly all act on CYP3A4, the liver enzyme that clears the drug, or on P-glycoprotein, a transporter that moves it, so they can push its level too high or leave too l…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acalabrutinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 288 real supplement products containing Neem, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Neem. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acalabrutinib too, on top of Neem — 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 Neem and Acalabrutinib 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 Neem
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acalabrutinib
Top half

#1,115 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 Neem

What is Neem?

Neem
  • Skin conditions
  • Dental and gum health
  • Antimicrobial and antiparasitic
  • Digestive upset
  • Blood sugar support
  • Insect repellent/pesticide

Neem is a tree from India used for centuries in traditional medicine, especially for skin, dental, and antimicrobial purposes. Some small studies are promising for oral health and skin, but high-quality human evidence is limited for most uses. Neem oil and seed extracts can be toxic if swallowed, especially in children, so use with caution and talk to your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Neem monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acalabrutinib

What Is Acalabrutinib Used For?

Brand name: Calquence

Calquence is used to treat adults with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) — either newly diagnosed (in combination with bendamustine and rituximab, for patients who are not candidates for a stem cell transplant) or previously treated (after at least one prior therapy). It is also used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Both the capsule and tablet forms of Calquence are approved for all three of these uses. The specific combination regimen and treatment schedule depend on the condition being treated and what other medicines are used alongside it — your care team will map that out for you.

See full Acalabrutinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Neem

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

0Major
1,012Moderate
0Minor
1,817No known interaction
1,012 Moderate 1,817 No interaction
Moderate

1,012 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,012 moderate interactions — see all 1,012 on the Neem page.

No interaction 1,817 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,817 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Neem list.

See the full Neem interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acalabrutinib, 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
Neem monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Acalabrutinib supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Acalabrutinib, ranked by severity Acalabrutinib 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 Neem and Acalabrutinib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Neem with Acalabrutinib?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Neem and Acalabrutinib?
Acalabrutinib belongs to more than one drug category, and Neem interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Neem and Acalabrutinib 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 Acalabrutinib and Neem?

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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.