Drug & supplement interaction

Thymus Extract + Omalizumab

Omalizumab brand name: Xolair.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Thymus Extract has a moderate interaction with Omalizumab. Theoretically, patients taking immunosuppressants may be at an increased risk of infection from contaminated thymus extract.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Thymus Extract and Omalizumab

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Omalizumab

Omalizumab falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Thymus Extract interacts with.

Theoretically, patients taking immunosuppressants may be at an increased risk of infection from contaminated thymus extract.
Thymus extract is derived from raw bovine thymus glands and is at risk for contamination. Tell patients to avoid thymus extract products unless these products are certified as pathogen-free.
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 key thing to know: this isn't about thymus extract changing how Xolair works in your body. Omalizumab is an injectable antibody, not a pill that gets broken down by liver enzymes, so the supplement won't speed it up or slow it down. The real concern is different. Thymus extract is made from raw cow thymus glands, and those animal tissues can carry germs if they aren't carefully purified.

Since Xolair tones down part of your immune system's allergic response, your body may have a slightly harder time fighting off a contaminated product. This worry is theoretical, based on how things work rather than reported cases. Still, to be safe, I'd skip thymus extract unless it's certified pathogen-free, and check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

References
  1. Lewis CJ. Letter to reiterate certain public health and safety concerns to firms manufacturing or importing dietary supplements that contain specific bovine tissues. FDA. Available at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dspltr05.html.

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

Thymus Extract Also Interacts With Other Medications

Thymus Extract has 120 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Omalizumab one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Thymus Extract

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Omalizumab

This page covers Thymus Extract only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Omalizumab page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Omalizumab page

“None of the 53 supplements on file for omalizumab (Xolair) carries a major rating, so this is a list to read with steady attention rather than alarm. Xolair treats allergic asthma and chronic hives by calming part of the immune system, and every entry here pulls the other way: these are immune-stimulating products, echinacea and astrag…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Omalizumab interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Thymus Extract and Omalizumab 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 Thymus Extract
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Omalizumab
Steady interest

#2,286 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 Thymus Extract

What is Thymus Extract?

  • Immune system support
  • Frequent infections
  • Allergies
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Cancer supportive care

Thymus extract is a glandular product made from the thymus tissue of animals, and it is promoted mainly for immune support. The evidence is mostly limited, preliminary, or from older studies, so it should not replace proven treatments. Because it is an animal-tissue product, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a serious medical condition.

Read the full Thymus Extract monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Omalizumab Injection

What Is Omalizumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Xolair

Xolair is used for several allergy-driven conditions. It treats moderate to severe persistent asthma in adults and children 6 and older whose symptoms aren't controlled by inhaled steroids alone and who test positive for a year-round airborne allergen. It is also used as an add-on maintenance treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ongoing sinus inflammation with polyp growths) in adults 18 and older who haven't responded well to nasal corticosteroids.

Xolair is also approved to reduce allergic reactions — including anaphylaxis — from accidental food exposure in adults and children aged 1 and older with IgE-mediated food allergy. It must be used alongside strict food avoidance, and it is not a substitute for emergency treatment like epinephrine. Finally, Xolair treats chronic spontaneous urticaria (persistent hives with no identified trigger) in adults and adolescents 12 and older who still have symptoms despite antihistamine treatment.

See full Omalizumab Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Thymus Extract

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

0Major
120Moderate
0Minor
2,709No known interaction
Moderate

120 interactions

Showing 60 of 120 moderate interactions — see all 120 on the Thymus Extract page.

No interaction 2,709 drugs checked — show the list
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
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Thymus Extract and Omalizumab Together: Common Questions

Can you take Thymus Extract with Omalizumab?
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 Thymus Extract and Omalizumab 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 Omalizumab and Thymus Extract?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.