Tazemetostat
Tazemetostat is a targeted cancer medicine used to treat certain types of soft-tissue sarcoma and follicular lymphoma (a type of slow-growing blood cancer).
🧬 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 1 clinical label set 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 →
📖 Tazemetostat: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Tazemetostat — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Tazemetostat is a targeted cancer medicine available as Tazverik tablets. It is approved for the following conditions:
- Epithelioid sarcoma: Tazverik is used for adults and patients aged 16 and older with metastatic (spread to other parts of the body) or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma — a rare soft-tissue cancer — when complete surgical removal is not possible.
- Relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (with EZH2 mutation): Tazverik is used for adults whose follicular lymphoma has come back or stopped responding to treatment, whose tumors test positive for a specific EZH2 gene mutation (detected by an FDA-approved test), and who have received at least 2 prior treatment regimens.
- Relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (no satisfactory alternatives): Tazverik is also used for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma who have no other satisfactory treatment options, regardless of EZH2 mutation status.
Both follicular lymphoma indications, and the epithelioid sarcoma indication, were approved under accelerated approval based on response rates. Continued approval may depend on results from confirmatory clinical trials.
⚙️How it works▾
Tazemetostat works by blocking an enzyme called EZH2 — a molecular switch that, when overactive or mutated in certain cancer cells, silences genes that normally keep tumors in check. By inhibiting EZH2, tazemetostat helps restore normal gene expression and slows cancer cell growth. In epithelioid sarcoma, cancer cells have a defect in a protein complex (SWI/SNF) that normally counterbalances EZH2, making the tumor abnormally dependent on EZH2 activity — which tazemetostat can then block. In follicular lymphoma, it is particularly effective against cancer cells carrying EZH2 gain-of-function mutations, though it also shows activity in cancer cells without those mutations.
💊How it's taken▾
Tazverik comes as tablets taken by mouth twice daily, with or without food — a high-fat meal does not meaningfully affect how much of the medicine reaches your bloodstream. Swallow tablets whole; do not cut, crush, or chew them.
- If you miss a dose or vomit right after taking a dose, do not take an extra one — just take the next scheduled dose at the normal time.
- If side effects occur, your doctor may reduce your dose in steps or temporarily pause treatment.
- If you are also taking certain antifungals or other medicines that affect liver enzymes, your doctor may need to adjust your Tazverik dose.
Always follow your prescriber's specific instructions and the directions on your prescription label.
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
The most common side effects vary somewhat depending on whether Tazverik is being used for epithelioid sarcoma or follicular lymphoma:
- In epithelioid sarcoma: pain, fatigue, nausea, decreased appetite, vomiting, and constipation (each reported in at least 20% of patients)
- In follicular lymphoma: fatigue, upper respiratory tract infections (colds, sinus infections), musculoskeletal pain, nausea, and abdominal pain (each reported in at least 20% of patients)
- Other reported effects include diarrhea, headache, cough, weight loss, hair loss, and rash
- Lab abnormalities including low red blood cell count (anemia), low white blood cell count, and low platelet count have also been seen
Contact your doctor promptly if you experience significant bleeding, severe shortness of breath, signs of infection, or any new and unusual symptoms — these may signal more serious reactions that require dose adjustments or stopping the medication.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Secondary malignancies (new cancers): Tazverik raises the risk of developing a secondary cancer, including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and — seen in one pediatric patient — T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. This risk requires long-term monitoring even after treatment ends. Report any unexplained bruising, bleeding, persistent infections, or extreme fatigue to your doctor.
- Embryo-fetal toxicity (harm to unborn babies): Animal studies showed tazemetostat causes serious skeletal birth defects. There are no safety data in pregnant humans. Women who can become pregnant must use effective non-hormonal contraception during treatment and for 6 months after the final dose. Men with partners who could become pregnant should use contraception during treatment and for at least 3 months after the last dose. Tazverik should not be taken during pregnancy unless the risks have been fully discussed with a doctor.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Tazemetostat is broken down by a liver enzyme called CYP3A, so medicines that affect this enzyme can significantly change how much tazemetostat stays in your body:
- Strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., itraconazole, fluconazole — antifungal medicines): These can raise tazemetostat blood levels substantially, increasing the risk of side effects. Avoid combining them with Tazverik if possible; if unavoidable, your doctor will reduce your dose.
- Strong or moderate CYP3A inducers (e.g., rifampin — used for tuberculosis): These can dramatically lower tazemetostat levels, reducing how well it works. Avoid combining these with Tazverik.
- Hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings): Tazverik can reduce their effectiveness. Use non-hormonal contraception (such as condoms or a copper IUD) instead.
- Other CYP3A-metabolized medicines: Tazverik can lower the levels of some other drugs processed by the same liver pathway; tell your doctor about all medications you take.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Pregnancy: Tazverik can cause serious harm to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor immediately if you are pregnant or become pregnant during treatment. A pregnancy test is required before starting.
- Breastfeeding: Do not breastfeed while taking Tazverik or for one week after the final dose, as the drug may harm a nursing infant.
- Contraception: Females of childbearing potential must use effective non-hormonal contraception during treatment and for 6 months after stopping. Males should use contraception during treatment and for at least 3 months after the final dose.
- Children under 16: Safety and effectiveness have not been established in patients younger than 16 years.
- Liver disease: Patients with moderate or severe liver impairment: Tazverik has not been studied in this group; discuss with your doctor before starting.
- Kidney disease: No dose adjustment is needed for kidney impairment, including end-stage renal disease.
- All medications and supplements: Tell your doctor about every medicine, supplement, or herbal product you take, especially antifungals or antibiotics, as interactions can significantly affect treatment.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
Researchers are still studying exactly how tazemetostat's blood levels relate to its effects on tumors, and the full time course of its activity in the body is not yet known. Studies show that at the approved dose, tazemetostat does not cause a clinically meaningful change in the heart's electrical activity (QTc interval), which is reassuring from a cardiac safety standpoint.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After taking Tazverik by mouth, tazemetostat reaches peak blood levels within 1 to 2 hours, and food does not significantly affect how much is absorbed. The drug is extensively bound to proteins in the blood and is broken down mainly by the liver enzyme CYP3A into inactive byproducts, which are eliminated primarily through the stool (about 79%) and to a lesser extent in urine (about 15%). At the twice-daily dosing schedule, steady blood levels are reached by about day 15. The drug's half-life — the time it takes for half the drug to be cleared from the body — is approximately 3 hours at steady state. Factors such as age, sex, race, body weight, and mild kidney or liver problems do not meaningfully alter how the body handles this medicine.
📦How to store it▾
store above 30°C (86°F).
📄 Written from Tazemetostat’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Tazemetostat
138 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Tazemetostat in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 3
- Moderate · 94
- Minor · 41
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.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Tazemetostat — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly is Tazverik used for? ▾
How do I take Tazverik, and does it matter if I take it with food? ▾
What side effects should I expect, and which ones should I call my doctor about? ▾
I've heard Tazverik can cause new cancers. How worried should I be? ▾
Can I take my regular medications alongside Tazverik? ▾
Is Tazverik safe if I'm pregnant or planning to become pregnant? ▾
Is Tazemetostat available over the counter? ▾
When was Tazemetostat first available? ▾
Who makes Tazemetostat? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Tazemetostat’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Tazemetostat comes
Tazemetostat 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.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Tazverik tablets are used for adults and patients aged 16 and older with metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma not eligible for complete surgical removal
- Tazverik tablets are used for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma whose tumors have an EZH2 mutation (confirmed by an FDA-approved test) after at least 2 prior treatments
- Tazverik tablets are used for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma who have no other satisfactory treatment options
- Tazverik tablets are taken by mouth twice daily, with or without food
- Swallow Tazverik tablets whole — do not cut, crush, or chew them
- If you miss a dose or vomit after taking Tazverik, skip that dose and take the next one at the regularly scheduled time — do not take an extra dose
- Continue taking Tazverik until your doctor tells you to stop, or until disease progresses or side effects become unacceptable
📊 Tazemetostat across the U.S. market
How Tazemetostat 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.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (1) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Tazemetostat is used
A general measure of how commonly Tazemetostat 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 Tazemetostat 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.
How commonly is Tazemetostat prescribed? Of the 1,597 medications we measure, Tazemetostat ranks #1,507 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 6% of them.
Utilization by Tazemetostat 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.
tazemetostat 200 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 1 of 1 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2274384
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 Tazemetostat, 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 1 of 1 listed Tazemetostat NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Tazemetostat products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Tazemetostat — 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 | ||||
| 200 mg | Oral | Epizyme, Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Bulk drug substance | ||||
| 160 kg/160 kg | — | Sterling Pharma Solutions Limited | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
Showing 4 of 4 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 4 Tazemetostat NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (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 Tazemetostat — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
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 Tazemetostat 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.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Tazemetostat went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 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.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
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.
RxCUI 2274378 1 dose form · 1 strength
-
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 2274383In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 200 MGRxCUI 2274384
Look up RxCUI 2274378 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.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Tazemetostat is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Tazemetostat belongs to the Methyltransferase Inhibitor class.
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.
🔬 Where this comes from
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.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 1 FDA-filed SPL label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Epizyme, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.