Topotecan: adverse event reports filed with FDA

3,668

reports as suspect product

0% of all reports · about 163 a year

187

reports, 12 months to June 2026

261 in the 12 months before

96.6%

marked serious by the reporter

96.8% across the class

19.2%

record death among outcomes, as reported

704 reports · not verified by FDA

Reports by month, five years

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

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Topotecan reports recording the termmedian drug in topoisomerase inhibitor

1. Neutropenialow neutrophils, a type of white blood cell8.8%324
2. Febrile neutropeniafever with low white blood cells8.8%321
3. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label8.8%321
4. Anaemialow red blood cells8.2%302
5. Disease progressionthe disease advanced8.2%300
6. Thrombocytopenialow platelets7.2%263
7. Product use in unapproved indicationused for a purpose not on the label7.1%260
8. Vomitingbeing sick7.1%260
9. Malignant neoplasm progression6.6%243
10. Nauseafeeling sick6.4%236
11. Pyrexiafever5.9%215
12. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected5.4%198
13. Pancytopenialow counts of all blood cells4.5%166
14. Fatiguetiredness4.3%158
15. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools4.1%150
16. Dyspnoeashortness of breath3.3%121
17. White blood cell count decreasedlow white cell count3.1%112
18. Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term2.9%107
19. Platelet count decreasedlow platelet count2.9%107
20. Abdominal painstomach or belly pain2.9%105
21. Neoplasm progression2.8%103
22. Mucosal inflammation2.6%95
23. Leukopenialow white blood cells2.5%93
24. Dehydrationdehydration2.5%91
25. Hypotensionlow blood pressure2.5%91
26. Product use issuea problem in how the product was used2.5%91
27. Ascitesfluid in the abdomen2.5%90
28. Astheniaweakness or lack of energy2.5%90
29. General physical health deteriorationgeneral decline in health2.5%90
30. Pneumonialung infection2.3%86

Top 30 of 800 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 12 drugs in the 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

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 86,440 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

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 44.1% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 3,668 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Other products listed in reports where Topotecan 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

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 topoisomerase inhibitor class

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.

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 Topotecan as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (863) 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.