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Pemetrexed Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of pemetrexed include malignant neoplasm progression, off label use, and anaemia, based on 36,525 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 2.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Pemetrexed side effects

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

1
Malignant Neoplasm Progression7.6%2,766
2
Off Label Use5.9%2,167
3
Anaemia4.7%1,699
4
Nausea4.2%1,526
5
Diarrhoea4.2%1,526
6
Pancytopenia3.9%1,427
7
Neutropenia3.9%1,421
8
Death3.7%1,353
9
Thrombocytopenia3.5%1,291
10
Acute Kidney Injury3.4%1,248
11
Disease Progression3.4%1,242
12
Fatigue3.2%1,186
13
Vomiting3.1%1,118
14
Rash2.9%1,052
15
Drug Ineffective2.9%1,047

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

Report severity

95.0%Serious34,701 reports
47.4%Hospitalizations17,328 reports
19.5%Fatal7,129 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Pemetrexed drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside pemetrexed. 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
Carboplatin42.8%15,650
2
Pembrolizumab28.1%10,253
3
Cisplatin14.7%5,368
4
Bevacizumab12.3%4,498
5
Nivolumab5.1%1,852
6
Ipilimumab3.3%1,222
7
Atezolizumab3.1%1,134
8
Paclitaxel2.9%1,058
9
Erlotinib-hydrochloride2.9%1,044
10
Docetaxel2.8%1,026
11
Gemcitabine2.7%996
12
Amivantamab2.5%909
13
Osimertinib-mesylate1.9%699
14
Gefitinib1.1%396
15
Tislelizumab-jsgr1.1%391

Taken alongside

1
Folic-acid17.4%6,358
2
Carboplatin13.5%4,938
3
Dexamethasone12.1%4,409
4
Cyanocobalamin8.4%3,076
5
Cisplatin6.2%2,271
6
Acetaminophen4.8%1,770
7
Ondansetron4.7%1,705
8
Omeprazole3.3%1,222
9
Pantoprazole-sodium3.3%1,195
10
Oxycodone3.2%1,171
11
Aspirin3.0%1,113
12
Atorvastatin-calcium2.5%898
13
Bevacizumab2.4%892
14
Aprepitant2.4%888
15
Prednisone2.4%885

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 pemetrexed side effects

36.8% of pemetrexed adverse event reports involve female patients and 53.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female36.8%
Male53.9%
Unknown9.3%

Age group

< 2<0.1%
2–11<0.1%
12–17<0.1%
18–6449.6%
65+50.2%

What is pemetrexed used for

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

Abdominal LymphadenopathyAbdominal NeoplasmAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAdenocarcinomaAdenocarcinoma GastricAdenocarcinoma LungAdenocarcinoma MetastaticAdenocarcinoma Of ColonAdenocarcinoma Of Salivary GlandAdenocarcinoma PancreasAdenosquamous Cell CarcinomaAdenosquamous Cell Lung CancerAdenosquamous Cell Lung Cancer Recurrent

Showing 15 of 568 indications

Pemetrexed brand names and reporting trend

Pemetrexed is sold under several brand names including Pemfexy, Alimta, Pemetrexed.

Brand names

Pemfexy25,681
Alimta4,720
Pemetrexed234
Pemetrexed Ditromethamine11

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking pemetrexed with another medication?

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