Herb & supplement monograph

Shark Cartilage Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Shark Cartilage interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Shark Cartilage is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Shark Cartilage is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Shark Cartilage Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Shark Cartilage drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the entire profile rests on a single theoretical concern that has not been documented in humans.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one group that deserves real attention is immunosuppressants, the medicines used after organ transplants and for autoimmune conditions. Lab research suggests shark cartilage might stimulate the immune system, which could in theory work against these drugs and reduce their protective effect. That would matter a great deal for a transplant patient, so we treat this combination with caution even though the effect has never been shown in people. Outside of this group, nothing else in the profile stands out.

What the rest of the list means

Although the number of listed medications looks large, nearly all of them trace back to that one theoretical immune concern rather than separate proven problems. The evidence comes from laboratory studies, not human reports, so for people who are not taking medicines that suppress the immune system, the data gives little reason to expect a meaningful interaction.

Check your medications against Shark Cartilage

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Shark Cartilage interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Shark Cartilage

121 medications have a known interaction with Shark Cartilage, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Shark Cartilage using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Shark Cartilage interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Shark Cartilage combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Shark Cartilage affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Shark Cartilage is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category Shark Cartilage interacts with

Immunosuppressants

Theoretically, shark cartilage might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.
In vitro evidence suggests that shark cartilage might stimulate immune responses. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Shark Cartilage: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Shark cartilage is a supplement made from the skeletal tissue of sharks that was heavily promoted for cancer and joint conditions, but good-quality clinical trials have not shown meaningful benefit. It is generally not recommended, and there are real environmental and safety concerns, so talk with your doctor or pharmacist before considering it.

Part used: Cartilage (skeletal tissue) from sharks, often from species such as the spiny dogfish and hammerhead
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, powder

People commonly use it for

Cancer support (popular use)
Arthritis and joint pain
Psoriasis
Wound healing
General immune support

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Often poorly studied, may cause digestive upset, and proven benefits are lacking.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Shark cartilage is a dietary supplement made from the dried and ground cartilage (the firm, flexible tissue that makes up a shark's skeleton) of various shark species. Because sharks have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone, the tissue is collected during commercial fishing and processed into powders, capsules, and tablets.

Interest in shark cartilage grew in the 1990s after popular books and marketing claimed that sharks "don't get cancer" and that their cartilage might help fight tumors. This idea drew a lot of public attention. Today shark cartilage is still sold for cancer support, joint health, and skin conditions, though scientific testing has not backed up most of these claims.

How it works

The main idea behind shark cartilage is that it may block the growth of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. Tumors need new blood vessels to grow, so researchers wondered if compounds in cartilage could "starve" tumors. Cartilage contains proteins and complex sugars (such as chondroitin and certain proteins) that have shown anti-angiogenic activity in laboratory tests.

It is important to note that most of this is based on laboratory and animal research. Even if a substance works in a test tube, that does not mean it survives digestion and reaches the body in a useful form when taken by mouth. The proposed mechanisms have not translated into proven benefits in people.

Effectiveness

Does Shark Cartilage work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 8 uses evaluated

1 Leans ineffective 7 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Likely Ineffective Cancer