Pharmacologic class (EPC) · 4 drug pages

Epidermal growth factor receptor antagonist: adverse event reports filed with FDA

43,907 reports list a drug in this class as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026.

Read first · FDA's statement on these data

Adverse event reports submitted to FDA do not undergo extensive validation or verification. Therefore, a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report. While a suspected relationship may exist, it is not medically validated and should not be the sole source of information for clinical decision making or other assumptions about the safety or efficacy of a product. Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product. openFDA, FDA

FDA adds: "There is no certainty that the reported event (adverse event or medication error) was actually due to the product. FDA does not require that a causal relationship between a product and event be proven, and reports do not always contain enough detail to properly evaluate an event." The information in these reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Do not rely on openFDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated.

Not medical advice. This site counts what was reported to FDA. Questions about a medicine or device belong with a pharmacist or clinician.

43,907
reports across the class: 0.2% of all reports; 2,642
reports, 12 months to June 2026: 2,152 in the 12 months before; 85.5%
marked serious by the reporter: 57.4% across all reports; 4
drugs with a page: brand and generic names counted separately

Epidermal growth factor receptor antagonist is a pharmacologic class (an FDA Established Pharmacologic Class) with 4 drug pages on this site. Together those drugs are listed as a suspect or interacting product in 43,907 adverse event reports received by FDA, 0.2% of the database, from January 2004 to June 2026.

2,642 reports arrived in the 12 months to June 2026, up 23% from 2,152 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. 85.5% of the class's reports are marked serious, 14.2% record death among the outcomes and 38.7% record hospitalisation, as reported.

Across the class the reactions recorded most often are rash (9.2%), diarrhoea (7.7%) and off label use (5.4%). The class median share shown beside each term is the middle value across the member drugs; it is the comparison used on every drug page in this class.

The members table is ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Drugs in the class

Drug	Name type	Reports	Latest 12 months	Marked serious	Top term recorded
ErbituxCetuximab	brand	18,121	831	77%	Rash
Cetuximab	generic	10,866	512	97.5%	Diarrhoea
VectibixPanitumumab	brand	9,256	1,079	80.4%	Rash
Panitumumab	generic	5,664	220	98%	Diarrhoea

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Reports by month, five years

FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

Reactions recorded across the class

share of class reports recording the termmedian drug in the class

Rashskin rash9.2%4,046
Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools7.7%3,399
Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label5.4%2,377
Nauseafeeling sick5.3%2,307
Neutropenialow neutrophils, a type of white blood cell4.7%2,064
Vomitingbeing sick4.4%1,928
Dermatitis acneiform4.3%1,867
Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term4.1%1,809
Dyspnoeashortness of breath3.7%1,638
Fatiguetiredness3.7%1,614
Pyrexiafever3.4%1,506
Hypomagnesaemialow blood magnesium3.2%1,421
Dehydrationdehydration3.1%1,366
Anaemialow red blood cells3.1%1,343
Astheniaweakness or lack of energy3%1,323
Decreased appetitereduced appetite3%1,307
Infusion related reactiona reaction during or soon after an infusion2.8%1,229
Stomatitissore mouth2.8%1,227
Malignant neoplasm progression2.8%1,224
Skin toxicity2.8%1,220
Thrombocytopenialow platelets2.8%1,211
Disease progressionthe disease advanced2.6%1,154
Mucosal inflammation2.5%1,109
Neuropathy peripheralnerve damage in hands or feet2.5%1,106
Pruritusitching2.5%1,088

Solid bar: share of all class reports. Hollow bar: the median share across the 4 member drugs, the reference used on each member's page. One report can record several terms.

Outcomes, patients and reporters

Outcomes recorded

Death14.2%6,250

Life-threatening7.1%3,138

Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)38.7%17,009

Disability1.5%659

Congenital anomaly0%17

Other serious49.3%21,657

Not serious14.5%6,359

Patient age

Under 20%1

2 to 110.1%26

12 to 170.1%33

18 to 445%2,211

45 to 6430.7%13,489

65 to 7422.4%9,837

75 and over10.2%4,464

Age not given31.5%13,846

Who reported

Physician30.6%13,440

Pharmacist5.9%2,607

Other health professional27.6%12,136

Lawyer0%8

Consumer or non-health professional33.6%14,757

Not given2.2%959

Grey bar: all 20,646,523 reports in the database. Outcome flags are as the reporter set them and are not verified by FDA.

Questions about Epidermal growth factor receptor antagonist reports

Which drugs are in the Epidermal growth factor receptor antagonist class on this site?

Erbitux, Cetuximab, Vectibix and Panitumumab. Class membership comes from the pharmacologic class (EPC) on the drug's FDA label.

How many reports does the class have?

43,907 reports through June 2026, 2,642 of them in the latest 12 months. A report listing two drugs of the class counts once for each.

What reactions are recorded most often?

rash (9.2%), diarrhoea (7.7%), off label use (5.4%), nausea (5.3%) and neutropenia (4.7%).

Can the members table be used to rank the drugs?

No. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." Drugs differ in how many people take them, in the conditions they treat, in time on the market and in how diligently reports are collected.

How do I report an adverse event?

Through FDA MedWatch (Form FDA 3500, or 1-800-FDA-1088) or to the manufacturer. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A class is the Established Pharmacologic Class most often attached to a drug's reports by openFDA's label harmonisation, or from the NDC Directory where reports carry none. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.