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Lapatinib

Lapatinib is an oral kinase inhibitor (a targeted cancer pill) used with other medicines to treat HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer, including hormone receptor-positive disease in postmenopausal women.

Brand name Tykerb
Drug classes Kinase Inhibitor
Rx Form 1
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Reviewed by Last reviewed Jul 10, 2026 Content updated Oct 2, 2026
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand

The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 4 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →

✓No current FDA shortage listed · checked Oct 7, 2026
Lapatinib at a glance The quick version — the full detail is in the Patient Information Guide below.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
The Pharmacist’s Take By · Clinical pharmacist · Written

Lapatinib (Tykerb) is a targeted medicine for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer that blocks two growth signals, HER2 and EGFR, paired with capecitabine once trastuzumab has stopped working, or with letrozole for hormone receptor-positive disease after menopause; it has been around since about 2007 and is available as a generic. Diarrhea is what most people notice and can turn severe; rash, nausea and sore, red palms and soles are also common. Its boxed warning is for severe liver damage, with deaths reported, so act fast on yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or belly pain. Expect liver and heart checks throughout, and report a new cough or blistering rash promptly.

Clinical pearls

  • Take the whole daily dose at once, at least one hour before or after a meal, because food boosts absorption sharply.
  • Keep loperamide at home and start it after the first loose stool, then report diarrhea that keeps going.
  • Ketoconazole, carbamazepine, digoxin and heart rhythm medicines interact seriously, so get every new prescription checked against lapatinib first.
  • Low potassium or magnesium raises the heart rhythm risk, so those levels are checked and corrected before starting.
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾

Lapatinib can cause serious liver damage, and deaths have been reported. It is not certain that the drug caused those deaths. Liver problems can start days to several months after beginning treatment.

Your liver will be checked with blood tests before and during treatment. Report yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or belly pain right away.

Read the full warning on DailyMed →
How you get itPrescription only
Comes asTablet
Earliest FDA record2007
Companies listing it with the FDA4
FDA label last updatedJan 27, 2026
FDA’s strongest warning (boxed)Yes, read the warning

Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Lapatinib, written from its FDA label.

What Lapatinib is used for

▾

Lapatinib is used with other medicines to treat certain HER2-positive breast cancers.

  • With capecitabine: advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer after prior anthracycline, taxane, and trastuzumab, with disease progression on trastuzumab (Tykerb and lapatinib tablets).
  • With letrozole: hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women for whom hormonal therapy is indicated (Tykerb and lapatinib tablets).
  • It has not been compared with a trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy regimen when used with an aromatase inhibitor.

How Lapatinib works

▾

Lapatinib is a kinase inhibitor. It blocks the inner signaling part of two proteins on cancer cells, EGFR and HER2, which tell tumor cells to grow.

Lab studies suggest it keeps working in cells that have grown in the presence of trastuzumab. Breast cancers that carry both hormone receptors and HER2 tend to resist standard hormone therapy, which is one reason for adding it to letrozole.

Lapatinib dosage

▾

Lapatinib tablets (Tykerb and lapatinib) are taken by mouth once a day, all at once. Take them at least one hour before or one hour after a meal. Do not split the daily dose.

  • With capecitabine, lapatinib is taken in a repeating 21-day cycle; capecitabine is taken with food or within 30 minutes after food.
  • With letrozole, lapatinib is taken once daily continuously.
  • If you miss a dose, do not double up the next day.
  • Treatment continues until the cancer progresses or side effects become unacceptable.

Dosing details from the FDA-approved label

From the Lapatinib prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.

  • HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer (advanced or metastatic breast cancer)
    • 1,250 mg (5 tablets) given orally once daily on Days 1-21 continuously in combination with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day (administered orally in 2 doses approximately 12 hours apart) on Days 1-14 in a repeating 21-day cycle
    • Take at least one hour before or one hour after a meal; capecitabine should be taken with food or within 30 minutes after food; do not divide the daily dose
  • Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
    • 1,500 mg (6 tablets) given orally once daily continuously in combination with letrozole 2.5 mg once daily
    • Take at least one hour before or one hour after a meal; do not divide the daily dose
  • Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Class C)
    • Reduce from 1,250 mg/day to 750 mg/day (HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer) or from 1,500 mg/day to 1,000 mg/day (hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer)
    • Should be considered
    • No clinical data with this dose adjustment
Read the label’s full dosing text

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended dosage of lapatinib tablets for advanced or metastatic breast cancer is 1,250 mg (5 tablets) given orally once daily on Days 1 to 21 continuously in combination with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m 2 /day (administered orally in 2 doses approximately 12 hours apart) on Days 1 to 14 in a repeating 21-day cycle. ( 2.1 ) The recommended dose of lapatinib tablets for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer is 1,500 mg (6 tablets) given orally once daily continuously in combination with letrozole. When lapatinib tablets are coadministered with letrozole, the recommended dose of letrozole is 2.5 mg once daily. ( 2.1 ) Lapatinib tablets should be taken at least one hour before or one hour after a meal. However, capecitabine should be taken with food or within 30 minutes after food. ( 2.1 ) Lapatinib tablets should be taken once daily. Do not divide daily doses of lapatinib tablets. ( 2.1 , 12.3 ) Modify dose for cardiac and other toxicities, severe hepatic impairment, diarrhea, and CYP3A4 drug interactions. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Recommended Dosing HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer : The recommended dose of lapatinib tablets is 1,250 mg given orally once daily on Days 1 to 21 continuously in combination with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m 2 /day (administered orally in 2 doses approximately 12 hours apart) on Days 1 to 14 in a repeating 21-day cycle. Lapatinib tablets should be taken at least one hour before or one hour after a meal. The dose of lapatinib tablets should be once daily (5 tablets administered all at once); dividing the daily dose is not recommended [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] . Capecitabine should be taken with food or within 30 minutes after food. If a day’s dose is missed, the patient should not double the dose the next day. Treatment should be continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs. Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer : The recommended dose of lapatinib tablets is 1,500 mg given orally once daily continuously in combination with letrozole. When coadministered with lapatinib tablets, the recommended dose of letrozole is 2.5 mg once daily. Lapatinib tablets should be taken at least one hour before or one hour after a meal.

Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →

Lapatinib side effects

▾

The most common side effects are:

Common side effects

  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Rash
  • Hand-foot skin reaction (palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia: redness, soreness of palms and soles)
  • Fatigue

When to get medical help

  • Yellowing of skin or eyes, dark urine, or severe stomach pain, which can signal liver problems
  • Severe or persistent diarrhea, or any change in bowel habits (report right away)
  • New cough, shortness of breath, or other lung symptoms
  • Fainting, dizziness, or a racing or irregular heartbeat
  • Signs of heart problems such as swelling, tiredness, or breathlessness
  • Progressive skin rash with blisters or sores in the mouth or other mucous membranes
  • Signs of a severe allergic reaction

Call your care team about severe or persistent diarrhea, yellowing of skin or eyes, breathing problems, heart rhythm symptoms, or blistering rash.

Lapatinib warnings and precautions

▾
  • Liver damage (boxed warning): can be severe and deaths have been reported. Liver tests are done before treatment and every 4 to 6 weeks.
  • Lower heart function: LVEF is checked before and during treatment, and the drug is stopped if it drops too much.
  • Diarrhea: can be severe; treat early with antidiarrheals.
  • Lung inflammation: stop if severe lung symptoms occur.
  • QT prolongation: low potassium or magnesium should be corrected first.
  • Severe skin reactions: stop if life-threatening reactions are suspected.
  • Fetal harm: it can harm an unborn baby.

Lapatinib interactions

▾

Lapatinib is broken down mainly by CYP3A4, so many drugs can change its levels, and it can change levels of others.

  • Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (for example ketoconazole): raised lapatinib exposure about 3.6-fold; avoid or reduce dose.
  • Strong CYP3A4 inducers (for example carbamazepine): lowered lapatinib exposure by about 72%; avoid or adjust dose.
  • Digoxin: levels rose about 2.8-fold, so levels are monitored and the digoxin dose may be halved.
  • Midazolam and paclitaxel: levels increased.
  • P-glycoprotein inhibitors: may raise lapatinib levels.
  • QT-prolonging drugs and antiarrhythmics: extra caution.
  • Esomeprazole did not meaningfully lower lapatinib exposure.

Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label

From the Lapatinib prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.

  • Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, atazanavir, indinavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, voriconazole): Ketoconazole 200 mg twice daily for 7 days increased lapatinib AUC to approximately 3.6-fold of control and half-life to 1.7-fold of control. Avoid; if unavoidable, consider a dose reduction to 500 mg/day of lapatinib; allow a washout of approximately 1 week after stopping the inhibitor before adjusting upward.
  • Grapefruit: May increase plasma concentrations of lapatinib. Should be avoided.
  • Strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., dexamethasone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, St. John's wort): Carbamazepine decreased lapatinib AUC approximately 72%. Avoid; if unavoidable, titrate gradually from 1,250 mg/day up to 4,500 mg/day or from 1,500 mg/day up to 5,500 mg/day based on tolerability; reduce to the indicated dose if the inducer is stopped.
  • Midazolam (CYP3A4 substrate): 24-hour AUC of oral midazolam increased 45%, and of intravenous midazolam increased 22%. Caution; consider dose reduction of substrate drugs with narrow therapeutic windows.
  • Paclitaxel (CYP2C8 and P-gp substrate): 24-hour AUC of paclitaxel was increased 23%. Caution; consider dose reduction of substrate drugs with narrow therapeutic windows.
  • Digoxin (P-gp substrate): Systemic AUC of an oral digoxin dose increased approximately 2.8-fold. Monitor serum digoxin concentrations before starting lapatinib and throughout coadministration; if digoxin serum concentration is greater than 1.2 ng/mL, reduce the digoxin dose by half.
  • P-gp inhibitors: Increased lapatinib concentrations are likely. Caution should be exercised.
  • Esomeprazole (proton pump inhibitor): 40 mg once daily for 7 days did not result in a clinically meaningful reduction in lapatinib steady-state exposure.
Read the label’s full interactions text

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Lapatinib tablets are likely to increase exposure to concomitantly administered drugs which are substrates of CYP3A4, CYP2C8, or P-glycoprotein (ABCB1). (7.1) Avoid strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. If unavoidable, consider dose reduction of lapatinib tablets in patients coadministered a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor. (2.2, 7.2) Avoid strong CYP3A4 inducers. If unavoidable, consider gradual dose increase of lapatinib tablets in patients coadministered a strong CYP3A4 inducer. (2.2, 7.2) 7.1 Effects of Lapatinib on Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes and Drug Transport Systems Lapatinib inhibits CYP3A4, CYP2C8, and P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) in vitro at clinically relevant concentrations and is a weak inhibitor of CYP3A4 in vivo. Caution should be exercised and dose reduction of the concomitant substrate drug should be considered when dosing lapatinib tablets concurrently with medications with narrow therapeutic windows that are substrates of CYP3A4, CYP2C8, or P-gp. Lapatinib did not significantly inhibit the following enzymes in human liver microsomes: CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 or UGT enzymes in vitro, however, the clinical significance is unknown. Midazolam : Following coadministration of lapatinib tablets and midazolam (CYP3A4 substrate), 24-hour systemic exposure (AUC) of orally administered midazolam increased 45%, while 24-hour AUC of intravenously administered midazolam increased 22%. Paclitaxel: In cancer patients receiving lapatinib tablets and paclitaxel (CYP2C8 and P-gp substrate), 24-hour systemic exposure (AUC) of paclitaxel was increased 23%. This increase in paclitaxel exposure may have been underestimated from the in vivo evaluation due to study design limitations. Digoxin: Following coadministration of lapatinib tablets and digoxin (P-gp substrate), systemic AUC of an oral digoxin dose increased approximately 2.8-fold. Serum digoxin concentrations should be monitored prior to initiation of lapatinib tablets and throughout coadministration.

Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Drug Interactions section on DailyMed →

Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.

Before taking Lapatinib

▾
  • Do not use with a known severe allergy to lapatinib or its ingredients.
  • Tell your doctor about heart or liver disease.
  • Severe liver impairment may need a lower dose.
  • Pregnancy: can cause fetal harm; use effective contraception during treatment and for 1 week after the last dose; this applies to men with female partners too.
  • Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 1 week afterward.
  • Not established in children.
  • Older adults: no overall differences seen, but some may be more sensitive.
  • Kidney impairment is unlikely to affect levels, as less than 2% is cleared by the kidneys.

Lapatinib overdose

▾

There is no known antidote for lapatinib overdose. Symptoms reported include the usual side effects, plus sore scalp, fast heart rate, and mouth or mucosal inflammation. Treatment is supportive care, and dialysis is not expected to help. Do not make up missed doses; resume at the next scheduled dose.

What Lapatinib does in the body

▾

In a study at about 1.3 to 1.6 times the recommended dose, lapatinib lengthened the QT interval (a measure of heart rhythm timing) in a concentration-dependent way. That is why ECG and electrolyte monitoring may be considered.

How your body processes Lapatinib

▾

Absorption of lapatinib tablets is incomplete and variable, with peak levels about 4 hours after a dose. Food greatly raises exposure, which is why timing around meals matters. It is more than 99% bound to proteins and is broken down mainly by CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. Its effective half-life is about 24 hours, steady state occurs in 6 to 7 days, and it is eliminated mostly in feces, with under 2% through the kidneys.

How to store Lapatinib

▾

Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) .

Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →

143

Supplements & herbs that interact with Lapatinib

143 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Lapatinib in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.

Severity mix
  • Major · 3
  • Moderate · 100
  • Minor · 40
Every supplement checked against Lapatinib — ranked by severity The full interaction hub: 3 major · 100 moderate · 40 minor · every one linked to its full report. Check Lapatinib against your exact supplements

Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.

Lapatinib: pharmacist answers to common questions

Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Lapatinib — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.

What is lapatinib for?

▾
It treats certain HER2-positive breast cancers. It is used with capecitabine for advanced or metastatic disease after other treatments, or with letrozole in postmenopausal women whose cancer is hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive.

How should I take it?

▾
Take it by mouth once a day, all the tablets together, at least an hour before or an hour after a meal. Food changes how much drug your body absorbs, so keep the timing consistent. If you miss a dose, don't double up the next day.

What side effects should I expect?

▾
Diarrhea is the most common, along with nausea, vomiting, rash, hand-foot skin reaction, and fatigue. Diarrhea often starts early, so tell your care team at the first loose stool; they may suggest an antidiarrheal like loperamide.

What serious problems should I watch for?

▾
Call right away for yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, severe or lasting diarrhea, new cough or trouble breathing, fainting or a racing heartbeat, swelling or breathlessness, or a blistering rash. Lapatinib can harm the liver, so you will have regular blood tests.

Can I take other medicines or supplements with it?

▾
Check with me first. Some drugs, such as ketoconazole and carbamazepine, change lapatinib levels, and it can raise levels of others like digoxin. Your doctor may adjust doses or monitor you more closely.

Is it safe in pregnancy?

▾
No, it can harm an unborn baby. You will be checked for pregnancy first and should use effective contraception during treatment and for 1 week after the last dose; this applies to men with female partners too. Don't breastfeed during that time either.

Is Lapatinib available over the counter?

▾
No. Lapatinib is a prescription medicine: every Lapatinib product listed with the FDA is prescription only, so it is not sold over the counter. Your prescriber decides whether it is appropriate for you, and your pharmacist dispenses it.

When was Lapatinib first available?

▾
The earliest FDA record we hold for Lapatinib is from 2007: its first approval in Drugs@FDA or its earliest product listing in the NDC Directory, whichever is older. Many older medicines were in use before their first formal FDA approval, so this is the earliest date on record, not necessarily when Lapatinib was first used.

Who makes Lapatinib?

▾
4 companies currently list Lapatinib products in the FDA's NDC Directory, including AvKARE, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. That count includes repackagers and distributors as well as manufacturers (companies that sell only the raw ingredient are not counted), so fewer companies actually make it; the label on your bottle names the one that supplied yours.

Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →

More about Lapatinib on HelloPharmacist

Detailed data & references for Lapatinib Forms & strengths, pricing, billing codes, manufacturers, safety reports and sourcing — the data behind the page. Most people can stop here. Each section below opens on a tap.

Lapatinib forms and strengths (how it comes)

Lapatinib is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.

Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Lapatinib inactive ingredients by manufacturer.

Tablet

By mouth
Brands Tykerb
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Tykerb and lapatinib tablets are used with capecitabine for HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer after prior therapy
  • Tykerb and lapatinib tablets are used with letrozole for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women
Important instructions
  • Tykerb and lapatinib tablets are taken by mouth once daily, all tablets at once
  • Tykerb and lapatinib tablets should be taken at least one hour before or after a meal
  • Do not divide the daily dose of Tykerb or lapatinib tablets
  • If a dose is missed, do not double the next day's dose
Available strengths 1 strength
8 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

Lapatinib on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands

How Lapatinib appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.

4 companies list 4 Lapatinib product records with the FDA, mostly as tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2007. Brand names on the directory include Tykerb; the rest are generics.

1
Dose forms ⓘ
4
Labelers (makers, repackagers, distributors)
2
Brand names
4
FDA-listed product records ⓘ
2007
Earliest FDA record ⓘ

Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (12) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.

AvKARE25%
Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.25%
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation25%
Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc.25%

Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

How widely Lapatinib is used (Medicaid data)

A general measure of how commonly Lapatinib is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.

Think of this as a proxy for how widely Lapatinib is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.

127
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$750,362 gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Lapatinib prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Lapatinib ranks #1,482 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 7% of them.

Where Lapatinib ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5

Utilization by Lapatinib product

Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.

lapatinib 250 MG Oral Tablet

127 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 100% of Lapatinib prescriptions shown $750,362 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $5,908 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 2 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 672149

Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.

Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Lapatinib, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 2 of 4 listed Lapatinib NDCs with Medicaid activity.

Compare Lapatinib products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Lapatinib — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)

Strength Route Manufacturer / Labeler Category ⓘ Details
💊Tablet
250 mg Oral AvKARE ANDA View NDC →
250 mg Oral Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANDA View NDC →
250 mg Oral Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation NDA View NDC →
250 mg Oral Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANDA View NDC →

Showing 4 of 4 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 4 Lapatinib NDCs →

Lapatinib side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)

After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Lapatinib — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.

The effects most often named in FDA reports that mention Lapatinib are diarrhoea, nausea, death; about 68% of the reports were classed as serious. These are voluntary reports, so they show what people report, not how often it happens.

15,427
Reports mentioning it
68%
Reported as serious
12
Distinct effects shown
Most reported effects
Diarrhoea
4,173
Nausea
1,615
Death
1,460
Fatigue
1,306
Vomiting
1,209
Rash
1,061
Disease Progression
1,005
Palmar-plantar Erythrodysaesthesia Syndrome
928
Asthenia
606
Malignant Neoplasm Progression
565
Age groups
Adult · 326Elderly · 106Neonate · 2Infant · 1Adolescent · 1

Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Lapatinib in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Lapatinib FDA approval history

How Lapatinib went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.

Lapatinib was first approved by the FDA in 2007 (Brand: TYKERB · Novartis); the first generic version was approved in 2020. It remains available in U.S. pharmacies today.

2007
Brand approved
Brand: TYKERB · Novartis
2020
First generic approved
Lower-cost ANDA competition begins
2026
Available today
Active in U.S. pharmacies

Source: Drugs@FDA.

Lapatinib recall history

A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.

The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Lapatinib recalls since July 2021.

✅No Lapatinib recalls on record since July 2021

Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.

RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength

This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.

Ingredient (IN) Lapatinib RxCUI 480167 1 dose form · 1 strength
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 672148 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 250 MG RxCUI 672149

Look up RxCUI 480167 in the RxCUI Atlas →

RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.

Lapatinib brand names

Lapatinib is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Tykerb. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.

Tykerb

Who makes Lapatinib: manufacturers and labelers

4 companies list Lapatinib products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are AvKARE, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.

AvKARE 1 Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1 Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation 1 Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1

Lapatinib drug class (RxNorm)

Lapatinib belongs to the Kinase Inhibitor class.

Pharmacologic class Kinase Inhibitor
Drug family (ATC) Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) tyrosine kinase inhibitors
How it works Protein Kinase Inhibitors

Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.

Sources for this Lapatinib page

Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.

📄
FDA-filed drug labels (SPL) Uses, dosing, warnings & side effects from SPL records retrieved through openFDA; the linked representative set can be verified on DailyMed. ✓ Linked label effective Jan 27, 2026
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Lapatinib.
📈
Real-world reportsThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), served through openFDA.
🚨
Recalls & shortagesopenFDA drug-enforcement reports and the FDA drug-shortage database.
🧾 Clinical label set — FDA-filed SPL labels retained for Lapatinib after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
4
Finished products in the current FDA directory
4
Companies listing them (makers, repackagers, distributors)
4
FDA labeler codes behind them ⓘ
4
Linked representative label ⓘ
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Linked label effective
Jan 27, 2026
Composite sections available
22
Linked SPL Set ID
eee37f88-ec6a-4c30-b8aa-e2c71f93088c
Linked SPL Document ID
940eccaf-92b4-4562-8579-24a53c1bc48d
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗
NDC package records associated with this linked SPL 1

How this page is built

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