Vinblastine
Vinblastine is a chemotherapy medicine given by vein to help control certain cancers, including Hodgkin’s disease, some lymphomas, advanced testicular cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma and breast 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 →
Vinblastine is an older chemotherapy, on the market since about 1982 and available generically, that stops cancer cells from splitting in two; usually combined with other cancer drugs, it helps control Hodgkin’s disease, certain lymphomas, advanced testicular cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma and breast cancer. It is a tough treatment that lowers white blood cells, so blood counts are checked before each dose and fever needs prompt reporting; hair loss, constipation, nausea and tingling fingers or toes are common. Its boxed warning says it goes into a vein only, since any other route can be fatal, and leakage outside the vein irritates tissue, so report site pain or burning at once.
Clinical pearls
- Erythromycin and other drugs that block the CYP3A liver enzyme can make vinblastine side effects arrive earlier or hit harder.
- If you take phenytoin for seizures, ask for blood level checks, since regimens with vinblastine have lowered phenytoin and increased seizures.
- Constipation is common, so ask about a laxative plan early and report severe constipation, belly pain or rectal bleeding.
- Vinblastine can harm a developing baby, so avoid pregnancy during treatment; absence of sperm has also been reported in men.
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
Vinblastine is for intravenous (vein) use only. Giving it by any other route can be fatal. Injection into the spinal fluid (intrathecal) usually results in death. It is meant to be given by people experienced with it, and the diluted drug should be clearly labeled “FOR INTRAVENOUS USE ONLY – FATAL IF GIVEN BY OTHER ROUTES.”
The needle or catheter must be correctly in the vein. If the drug leaks into surrounding tissue, it can cause considerable irritation. The injection should be stopped right away and the rest given in another vein. Hyaluronidase and moderate heat may help disperse the drug and reduce discomfort and cellulitis risk. Tell staff right away if you feel pain or burning at the site.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Vinblastine, written from its FDA label.
What Vinblastine is used for
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Vinblastine Sulfate Injection is used for palliative treatment of these cancers:
- Generalized Hodgkin’s disease (Stages III and IV)
- Lymphocytic lymphoma
- Histiocytic lymphoma
- Advanced mycosis fungoides
- Advanced carcinoma of the testis
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Letterer-Siwe disease (histiocytosis X)
- Choriocarcinoma resistant to other chemotherapy
- Breast cancer that has not responded to endocrine surgery and hormonal therapy
It is usually combined with other cancer drugs.
How Vinblastine works
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Vinblastine blocks the formation of microtubules in the mitotic spindle. This is the structure a cell uses to divide. Dividing cells get stuck at the metaphase stage and cannot finish splitting.
It may also interfere with cell energy production and nucleic acid synthesis. Its anti-cancer effect is not fully explained by these changes alone.
Vinblastine dosage
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Vinblastine is given only through a vein by an experienced health professional. It is generally given no more often than every 7 days.
- Doses are adjusted using white blood cell counts.
- The next dose waits until the white count has recovered.
- Diluted drug is usually given over no more than 30 minutes.
- Food does not apply, since it is not taken by mouth.
Follow your prescriber and the product label.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Vinblastine 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.
- Adult patients
- Initiate with a single intravenous dose of 3.7 mg/m2 bsa
- Incremental weekly doses: second 5.5 mg/m2, third 7.4 mg/m2, fourth 9.25 mg/m2, fifth 11.1 mg/m2 bsa
- Once the dose producing leukopenia is established, give one increment smaller at weekly intervals for maintenance
- For most adults the weekly dosage is 5.5 to 7.4 mg/m2 bsa
- Maximum: Not exceeding 18.5 mg/m2 bsa for adults
- Do not increase after the dose that reduces white cell count to approximately 3,000 cells/mm3; give no more often than once every seven days and not until white cell count has returned to at least 4,000/mm3
- Pediatric patients - Letterer-Siwe disease (histiocytosis X), single agent
- Initial dose reported as 6.5 mg/m2
- Dose modifications should be guided by hematologic tolerance
- Pediatric patients - Hodgkin's disease, in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents
- Initial dose reported as 6 mg/m2
- Dose modifications should be guided by hematologic tolerance
- Pediatric patients - testicular germ cell carcinomas, combination regimen
- Initial dose reported as 3 mg/m2
- Dose modifications should be guided by hematologic tolerance
- Patients with direct serum bilirubin value above 3 mg/100 mL
- Reduction of 50% in the dose of vinblastine sulfate is recommended
- No modification recommended for impaired renal function
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: This preparation is for intravenous use only (see WARNINGS ). Special Dispensing Information - To reduce the potential for fatal medication errors due to incorrect route of administration, vinblastine sulfate injection should be diluted in a flexible plastic container and prominently labeled (as indicated), “FOR INTRAVENOUS USE ONLY – FATAL IF GIVEN BY OTHER ROUTES.” (see WARNINGS ). Preparation for flexible plastic container Vinblastine sulfate injection when diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride injection to concentrations of 0.1 mg/mL to 0.4 mg/mL is stable at room temperature for up to 24 hours when protected from light or 8 hours in normal light. Caution–It is extremely important that the intravenous needle or catheter be properly positioned before any vinblastine sulfate is injected. Leakage into surrounding tissue during intravenous administration of vinblastine sulfate may cause considerable irritation. If extravasation occurs, the injection should be discontinued immediately and any remaining portion of the dose should then be introduced into another vein. Local injection of hyaluronidase and the application of moderate heat to the area of leakage will help disperse the drug and may minimize discomfort and the possibility of cellulitis. There are variations in the depth of the leukopenic response that follows therapy with vinblastine sulfate. For this reason, it is recommended that the drug be given no more frequently than once every seven days . Adult Patients It is wise to initiate therapy for adults by administering a single intravenous dose of 3.7 mg/m 2 of body surface area (bsa). Thereafter, white blood cell counts should be made to determine the patient’s sensitivity to vinblastine sulfate. A simplified and conservative incremental approach to dosage at weekly intervals for adults may be outlined as follows: First dose ....................................... 3.7 mg/m 2 bsa Second dose .................................. 5.5 mg/m 2 bsa Third dose ...................................... 7.4 mg/m 2 bsa Fourth dose .................................. 9.25 mg/m 2 bsa Fifth dose ..................................... 11.1 mg/m 2 bsa The above-mentioned increases may be used until a maximum dose not exceeding 18.5 mg/m 2 bsa for adults is reached.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Vinblastine side effects
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Side effects tend to rise with the dose. Most pass within 24 hours, except hair loss, low white cells and nerve effects.
Common side effects
- Low white blood cell count (leukopenia), the most common effect
- Hair loss, which is common
- Constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Anemia (low red blood cells)
- Numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
- Low white blood cells, anemia, low platelets
- Constipation, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, belly pain, diarrhea
- Tingling or numbness, headache, depression
- Weakness, bone pain, jaw pain, dizziness
When to get medical help
- Tell your care team right away if you notice pain, burning, redness or swelling at the injection site. Leakage from the vein can cause cellulitis (skin infection) and tissue damage.
- Report signs of infection, such as fever, because vinblastine can lower white blood cells to dangerously low levels.
- Report numbness, tingling, weakness, severe headache or seizures. Nerve effects can be disabling and often last more than 24 hours.
- Report hearing loss, dizziness, vertigo or balance problems.
- Get emergency help for chest pain or symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. These have been reported rarely, especially in combination chemotherapy with bleomycin and cisplatin.
- Report bleeding, such as rectal bleeding, or severe belly pain or severe constipation.
- Report mouth sores, which can be disabling.
Call your care team about fever or infection signs, injection-site pain, nerve symptoms, hearing or balance changes, bleeding, or chest pain. Nausea and vomiting are usually controlled with anti-nausea medicine.
Vinblastine warnings and precautions
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- Fatal if given by any route other than the vein. Spinal (intrathecal) injection usually causes death.
- Leakage from the vein can cause irritation, cellulitis, phlebitis and tissue sloughing.
- White blood cells can fall to dangerously low levels.
- Mouth sores and nerve toxicity can be disabling.
- Hearing and balance damage has been reported rarely.
- Rare heart attack, angina and stroke have been reported.
- Can cause fetal harm.
Vinblastine interactions
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Some medicines change how vinblastine or other drugs behave.
- Phenytoin: levels may drop and seizures may increase.
- Erythromycin and other CYP3A inhibitors: can slow vinblastine breakdown and worsen side effects.
- Hearing-toxic drugs such as platinum cancer drugs: added risk to hearing.
- Bleomycin plus cisplatin: Raynaud’s phenomenon, heart attack and stroke have been reported.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Vinblastine prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Phenytoin: Simultaneous administration with antineoplastic combinations including vinblastine has been reported to reduce blood levels of the anticonvulsant and increase seizure activity; vinblastine's contribution is not certain. Dosage adjustment should be based on serial blood level monitoring.
- Drugs that inhibit hepatic cytochrome P450 CYP 3A subfamily metabolism: Concurrent administration may cause an earlier onset and/or increased severity of side effects. Caution should be exercised in patients concurrently taking such drugs or with hepatic dysfunction.
- Erythromycin: Enhanced toxicity has been reported in patients receiving concomitant erythromycin.
Read the label’s full interactions text
Drug Interactions The simultaneous oral or intravenous administration of phenytoin and antineoplastic chemotherapy combinations that included vinblastine sulfate has been reported to have reduced blood levels of the anticonvulsant and to have increased seizure activity. Dosage adjustment should be based on serial blood level monitoring. The contribution of vinblastine sulfate to this interaction is not certain. The interaction may result from either reduced absorption of phenytoin or an increase in the rate of its metabolism and elimination. Caution should be exercised in patients concurrently taking drugs known to inhibit drug metabolism by hepatic cytochrome P450 isoenzymes in the CYP 3A subfamily, or in patients with hepatic dysfunction. Concurrent administration of vinblastine sulfate with an inhibitor of this metabolic pathway may cause an earlier onset and/or an increased severity of side effects. Enhanced toxicity has been reported in patients receiving concomitant erythromycin (see ADVERSE REACTIONS ).
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 Vinblastine
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- Not for people with significant granulocytopenia (unless caused by the cancer being treated).
- Not for people with a bacterial infection until it is controlled.
- Pregnancy: can harm the fetus. Avoid becoming pregnant.
- Liver disease: higher toxicity risk. Dose is reduced for high bilirubin.
- Kidney problems: no dose change recommended.
- Poor circulation in a limb: injection there is not advised.
- Children: dosing depends on the regimen and blood counts.
Vinblastine overdose
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Too much vinblastine exaggerates the side effects. The major danger is life-threatening myelosuppression (low blood cell production), along with nerve toxicity. There is no specific antidote, so treatment is supportive, including daily blood counts, seizure and heart monitoring, and preventing ileus (stalled bowels). Contact a Poison Control Center for guidance.
What Vinblastine does in the body
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Vinblastine arrests dividing cells at metaphase. Leukopenia (low white cells) is an expected effect, and the white count guides treatment. White cells usually reach their lowest 5 to 10 days after the last dose and recover within another 7 to 14 days. Platelets and red cells are usually affected little unless prior therapy has impaired the bone marrow.
How your body processes Vinblastine
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After a rapid intravenous injection, vinblastine leaves the blood in three phases, with half-lives of about 3.7 minutes, 1.6 hours and 24.8 hours. It binds extensively to tissues. The liver breaks it down through CYP3A enzymes, and the bile is likely the major route of excretion. Toxicity can rise when liver function is poor.
How to store Vinblastine
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Store products in refrigerator 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F) to assure extended stability. PROTECT FROM LIGHT .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Vinblastine
161 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Vinblastine 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 · 119
- Minor · 39
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.
Vinblastine: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Vinblastine — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is vinblastine for?
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How will I get it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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When should I call my care team?
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Do other medicines matter?
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Is it safe during pregnancy?
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Is Vinblastine available over the counter?
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When was Vinblastine first available?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Vinblastine on HelloPharmacist
Vinblastine forms and strengths (how it comes)
Vinblastine 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 Vinblastine inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Injection
How this form is used
- Vinblastine Sulfate Injection is used for palliative treatment of Hodgkin’s disease, certain lymphomas, advanced testicular cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma, mycosis fungoides, Letterer-Siwe disease, choriocarcinoma and breast cancer.
- Vinblastine Sulfate Injection is for intravenous use only and is fatal if given by other routes.
- Vinblastine Sulfate Injection is diluted in a flexible plastic container and labeled for intravenous use only.
- Vinblastine Sulfate Injection is generally given no more often than once every 7 days, guided by white blood cell counts.
- Vinblastine Sulfate Injection should be given over no more than about 30 minutes, with the line flushed with saline to limit leakage.
Vinblastine on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Vinblastine 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.
1 company lists 1 Vinblastine product record with the FDA, mostly as injection; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1965. Brand names on the directory include Velban; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (3) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
How widely Vinblastine is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Vinblastine 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 Vinblastine 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 Vinblastine prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Vinblastine ranks #1,094 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 32% of them.
Utilization by Vinblastine 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.
vinblastine sulfate 1 MG/ML Injectable Solution
Summed across the 1 of 1 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 239178
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 Vinblastine, 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 Vinblastine NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Vinblastine products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Vinblastine — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 1 mg/mL | Intravenous | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 1 of 1 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 1 Vinblastine NDCs →
Vinblastine 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 Vinblastine — 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 Vinblastine 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.
Vinblastine FDA approval history
How Vinblastine went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Vinblastine 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 Vinblastine recalls since July 2021.
✅No Vinblastine recalls on record since July 2021Source: 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.
RxCUI 11198 1 dose form · 1 strength
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Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 376857In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) sulfate 1 MG/MLRxCUI 239178
Look up RxCUI 11198 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.
Vinblastine supply and shortage status
Whether Vinblastine 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.
Vinblastine brand names
Vinblastine is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Velban. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Vinblastine: manufacturers and labelers
One company lists Vinblastine products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Vinblastine drug class (RxNorm)
Vinblastine belongs to the Vinca Alkaloid 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.
Sources for this Vinblastine 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.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →