Reported Reactions

Drugs › Anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor

Generic name

Epirubicin hydrochloride: adverse event reports filed with FDA

6,411 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor. Also reported as Epirubicin Hcl, Epirubicin Hydrochloride Injection.

6,411
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 286 a year
594
reports, 12 months to June 2026
650 in the 12 months before
99.3%
marked serious by the reporter
97% across the class
9.3%
record death among outcomes, as reported
594 reports · not verified by FDA

6,411 adverse event reports received by FDA list epirubicin hydrochloride, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from February 2004 to June 2026. A further 655 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 594 reports listed it, close to the 650 of the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 286 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 5.8% of the reports for the anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

The MedDRA terms listed most often are myelosuppression (10.7%), nausea (8.8%) and vomiting (7%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 832 different terms appear across these reports. Myelosuppression is recorded in 10.7% of these reports, a larger share than in the median anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor drug (2.7%).

99.3% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (97% across the class); 9.3% record death among the outcomes and 41% record hospitalisation, as reported. 49.4% of the reports came from physicians, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (43.9%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Reports by month, five years

04589Jul 2021: 38Aug 2021: 29Sep 2021: 55Oct 2021: 73Nov 2021: 56Dec 2021: 482022Jan 2022: 37Feb 2022: 29Mar 2022: 52Apr 2022: 57May 2022: 60Jun 2022: 45Jul 2022: 44Aug 2022: 50Sep 2022: 78Oct 2022: 66Nov 2022: 89Dec 2022: 442023Jan 2023: 46Feb 2023: 36Mar 2023: 41Apr 2023: 62May 2023: 62Jun 2023: 65Jul 2023: 52Aug 2023: 62Sep 2023: 51Oct 2023: 48Nov 2023: 81Dec 2023: 572024Jan 2024: 74Feb 2024: 44Mar 2024: 68Apr 2024: 67May 2024: 55Jun 2024: 65Jul 2024: 57Aug 2024: 57Sep 2024: 81Oct 2024: 51Nov 2024: 60Dec 2024: 592025Jan 2025: 47Feb 2025: 51Mar 2025: 48Apr 2025: 45May 2025: 45Jun 2025: 49Jul 2025: 56Aug 2025: 51Sep 2025: 56Oct 2025: 44Nov 2025: 57Dec 2025: 472026Jan 2026: 34Feb 2026: 44Mar 2026: 42Apr 2026: 61May 2026: 50Jun 2026: 52

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

03697382004: 1420042005: 152006: 102007: 5020072008: 722009: 1602010: 12020102011: 2442012: 3292013: 17820132014: 1582015: 2332016: 20220162017: 1672018: 2362019: 41320192020: 3862021: 4932022: 65120222023: 6632024: 7382025: 59620252026: 283

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Epirubicin hydrochloride reports recording the termmedian drug in anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor

  1. Nauseafeeling sick8.8%562
  2. Vomitingbeing sick7%447
  3. White blood cell count decreasedlow white cell count6.9%444
  4. Astheniaweakness or lack of energy5.6%361
  5. Febrile neutropeniafever with low white blood cells5.3%338
  6. Pyrexiafever5.3%337
  7. Neutropenialow neutrophils, a type of white blood cell4.7%303
  8. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools3.9%248
  9. Fatiguetiredness3.4%219
  10. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label3.3%211
  11. Decreased appetitereduced appetite2.8%180
  12. Anaemialow red blood cells2.7%171
  13. Dyspnoeashortness of breath2.3%145
  14. Cardiac failureheart failure2.1%137
  15. Platelet count decreasedlow platelet count2.1%132
  16. Leukopenialow white blood cells2%128
  17. Neuropathy peripheralnerve damage in hands or feet1.8%114
  18. Alopeciahair loss1.8%113
  19. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness1.5%98
  20. Interstitial lung diseasescarring or inflammation of lung tissue1.5%96
  21. Painpain, site not specified1.5%96
  22. Thrombocytopenialow platelets1.5%96

Top 30 of 832 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 7 drugs in the anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor class; it describes the reports, not the patients. 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."

Outcomes recorded

Death9.3%594
Life-threatening6.4%409
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)41%2,628
Disability3.4%220
Congenital anomaly0.5%29
Other serious66.7%4,276
Not serious0.7%43

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 109,832 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Patient age

Under 20.3%18
2 to 110.6%36
12 to 170.4%25
18 to 4417%1,089
45 to 6443.9%2,814
65 to 7416.9%1,083
75 and over3.8%241
Age not given17.2%1,105

Patient sex

Female76.9%4,930
Male15.1%965
Not given8%516

Who reported

Physician49.4%3,169
Pharmacist5.4%345
Other health professional36.4%2,331
Lawyer0.6%39
Consumer or non-health professional6.4%413
Not given1.8%114

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 2.2% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Breast cancer1,90629.7%
Breast cancer female6059.4%
Triple negative breast cancer3485.4%
Chemotherapy2403.7%
Invasive ductal breast carcinoma2323.6%
Gastric cancer1692.6%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 6,411 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Drug (any role in the report)ReportsShare of Epirubicin hydrochloride reports
Cyclophosphamide4,08663.7%
Fluorouracil1,37121.4%
Sodium chloride94014.7%
Docetaxel86013.4%
Paclitaxel83513%
Trastuzumab4637.2%
Cisplatin4286.7%
Carboplatin4156.5%
Dexamethasone4026.3%
Capecitabine2864.5%

Other products listed in reports where Epirubicin hydrochloride is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.

In context

MeasureEpirubicin hydrochlorideAnthracycline topoisomerase inhibitorAll reports
Reports as suspect product6,411109,83220,646,523
Share of that pool—5.8%0%
Reports, latest 12 months594—1,332,454
Marked serious99.3%97%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports9319991
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports410362213
Consumer-filed share6.4%5.7%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsMyelosuppression 10.7%median 2.7%0.2%

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. 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."

Other drugs in the anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Doxorubicingeneric54,4014,87997.9%
Doxorubicin hydrochloridegeneric35,9132,17296.9%
Doxilbrand4,9212889.5%
Daunorubicin hydrochloridegeneric3,43111896.2%
Idarubicin hydrochloridegeneric2,45611298.1%
Vyxeosbrand2,29956187.4%

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." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Questions about Epirubicin hydrochloride reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Epirubicin hydrochloride?

6,411 reports list Epirubicin hydrochloride as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 594 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 655 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Epirubicin hydrochloride reports?

myelosuppression (10.7%), nausea (8.8%), vomiting (7%), white blood cell count decreased (6.9%) and asthenia (5.6%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Epirubicin hydrochloride was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

99.3% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 9.3% of reports include death and 41% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.

Who files these reports?

physician (49.4%), other health professional (36.4%) and consumer or non-health professional (6.4%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Epirubicin hydrochloride rising?

594 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, close to the 650 of the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.

Do these reports show that Epirubicin hydrochloride was responsible for these reactions?

No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.

Is this a list of the side effects of Epirubicin hydrochloride?

No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.

How do I report an adverse event?

Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. 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 report counts here when it lists Epirubicin hydrochloride as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (655) are excluded. 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.