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Bexarotene Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of bexarotene include off label use, hypothyroidism, and death, based on 1,397 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

#1 Reported: Off Label UseAll side effects ↓Top Co-Medication: Mechlorethamine-hydrochlorideDrug interactions ↓56% of Reports Are ElderlyDemographics ↓

Bexarotene side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for bexarotene.

1
Drug Ineffective7.2%100
2
Off Label Use5.6%78
3
Hypothyroidism5.4%75
4
Death5.3%74
5
Hypertriglyceridaemia3.6%50
6
Pruritus3.1%44
7
Disease Progression3.1%43
8
Fatigue3.0%42
9
Malignant Neoplasm Progression2.8%39
10
Condition Aggravated2.4%34
11
Nausea2.1%30
12
Blood Cholesterol Increased1.9%27
13
Product Use In Unapproved Indication1.9%27
14
Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma1.9%26
15
Rash1.8%25

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that bexarotene caused these reactions.

Report severity

71.6%Serious1,000 reports
28.1%Hospitalizations392 reports
17.9%Fatal250 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Bexarotene drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside bexarotene. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Mechlorethamine-hydrochloride7.7%108
2
Methotrexate7.4%103
3
Doxorubicin-hydrochloride4.2%58
4
Gemcitabine3.7%51
5
Prednisone3.6%50
6
Interferon3.4%47
7
Fenofibrate3.0%42
8
Mogamulizumab-kpkc3.0%42
9
Romidepsin2.4%34
10
Cyclophosphamide2.4%33
11
Vorinostat2.2%31
12
Denileukin2.1%30
13
Brentuximab-vedotin2.1%30
14
Levothyroxine-sodium2.1%29
15
Vincristine-sulfate1.9%27

Taken alongside

1
Levothyroxine-sodium16.2%227
2
Atorvastatin-calcium7.2%100
3
Fenofibrate6.4%90
4
Triamcinolone4.2%59
5
Clobetasol-propionate4.2%59
6
Aspirin3.9%55
7
Acetaminophen3.9%54
8
Hydroxyzine3.8%53
9
Prednisone3.7%51
10
Ergocalciferol3.4%48
11
Gabapentin3.2%45
12
Metoprolol2.6%37
13
Omeprazole2.6%37
14
Amlodipine2.6%37
15
Hydrochlorothiazide2.4%33

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports bexarotene side effects

39.6% of bexarotene adverse event reports involve female patients and 52.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 56%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female39.6%
Male52.3%
Unknown8.1%

Age group

< 20.0%
2–110.3%
12–170.0%
18–6443.8%
65+55.9%

What is bexarotene used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking bexarotene when the adverse event was reported.

Acute Myeloid LeukaemiaAdult T-cell Lymphoma/leukaemiaAnaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma T- And Null-cell TypesAnaplastic Large-cell LymphomaAdult T-cell Lymphoma/leukaemiaAlopecia AreataAnaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma T- And Null-cell TypesAngioimmunoblastic T-cell LymphomaB-cell LymphomaBladder CancerBladder Transitional Cell CarcinomaBlood Cholesterol AbnormalBreast CancerBenign Breast NeoplasmCancer

Showing 15 of 107 indications

Bexarotene brand names and reporting trend

Bexarotene is sold under the brand name Targretin.

Brand names

Targretin719

Quarterly reports (2004–2025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking bexarotene with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.

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