Drug & supplement interaction

Ostarine + Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine brand name: Gemzar.

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

Ostarine has a moderate interaction with Gemcitabine. Theoretically, concomitant use with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of adverse hepatotoxic effects.

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

Ostarine and Gemcitabine

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Ostarine interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of adverse hepatotoxic effects.
Some clinical research shows that ostarine can increase alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver damage, in some patients. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that supplements containing SARMs, such as ostarine, have been associated with reports of liver toxicity and there are at least two reports of drug-induced liver injury attributed to the use of ostarine.
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 concern in plain terms: Gemcitabine (Gemzar) can be hard on the liver, and Ostarine has its own track record of liver trouble. Real reports tie SARMs like Ostarine to raised liver enzymes (ALT) and even cases of drug-induced liver injury, and the FDA has flagged this directly. Stacking two things that stress the same organ may add up.

This isn't about Ostarine changing how gemcitabine works. It's that both can irritate the liver, so using them together could raise your odds of liver problems on top of gemcitabine's usual effects (fatigue, low blood counts, nausea). The evidence here is theoretical, based on how each behaves, not a proven head-to-head reaction. Still, while you're on chemo, please loop in your oncologist or pharmacist before using Ostarine at all.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Warning Letter: Ironmag Labs 10/23/17. FDA Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, October 23, 2017. https://www.fda.gov/iceci/enforcementactions/warningletters/2017/ucm582464.htm Accessed: November 1, 2017
  2. Warning Letter: Panther Sports Nutrition 10/23/17. FDA Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, October 23, 2017. https://www.fda.gov/iceci/enforcementactions/warningletters/2017/ucm581630.htm. Accessed: November 1, 2017
  3. Warning Letter: Infantry Labs LLC 10/23/17. FDA Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, October 23, 2017. https://www.fda.gov/iceci/enforcementactions/warningletters/2017/ucm582685.htm. Accessed: November 1, 2017
  4. Dobs AS, Boccia RV, Croot CC, et al. Effects of enobosarm on muscle wasting and physical function in patients with cancer: a double-blind, randomised controlled phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol 2013;14(4):335-45. PubMed
  5. Dalton JT, Barnette KG, Bohl CE, et al. The selective androgen receptor modulator GTx-024 (enobosarm) improves lean body mass and physical function in healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II tri
  6. Bedi H, Hammond C, Sanders D, Yang HM, Yoshida EM. Drug-induced liver injury from enobosarm (ostarine), a selective androgen receptor modulator. ACG Case Rep J 2021;8(1):e00518. PubMed
  7. Weinblatt D, Roy S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Secondary to Enobosarm: A Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator. J Med Cases 2022;13(5):244-248. 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

Ostarine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ostarine has 441 moderate, 171 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Gemcitabine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 441 Minor 171 No known interaction 2,218 (incl. Gemcitabine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ostarine

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gemcitabine

This page covers Ostarine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gemcitabine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Ashwagandha (moderate) and Black Cohosh (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 35 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Gemcitabine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 33 real supplement products containing Ostarine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ostarine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Gemcitabine too, on top of Ostarine — 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 Ostarine and Gemcitabine 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 Ostarine
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Gemcitabine
Steady interest

#2,336 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 Ostarine

What is Ostarine?

  • Muscle building
  • Athletic performance
  • Fat loss / body recomposition
  • Bodybuilding cycles

Ostarine (also called MK-2866 or enobosarm) is an experimental, unapproved drug known as a SARM (selective androgen receptor modulator), not a true dietary supplement. It is not approved by the FDA, is banned in sports, and has been linked to liver injury and other serious harms, so it is not recommended for general use.

Read the full Ostarine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gemcitabine Injection

What Is Gemcitabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Gemzar

Gemcitabine Injection treats several cancers. It is given with other chemotherapy drugs for some cancers and on its own for pancreatic cancer.

The label supports use for advanced ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. Details are in the guide below.

See full Gemcitabine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ostarine

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

0Major
441Moderate
171Minor
2,217No known interaction
441 Moderate 171 Minor 2,217 No interaction
Moderate

441 interactions

Showing 60 of 441 moderate interactions — see all 441 on the Ostarine page.

Minor

171 interactions

Showing 60 of 171 minor interactions — see all 171 on the Ostarine page.

No interaction 2,217 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,217 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ostarine list.

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

Can you take Ostarine with Gemcitabine?
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 Ostarine and Gemcitabine 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 Gemcitabine and Ostarine?

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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.