Docetaxel 80mg/2ml solution for infusion vials and diluent
Docetaxel is a clinically well established anti-mitotic chemotherapy medication used for the treatment of different types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Docetaxel
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Docetaxel
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2 branded products available
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Docetaxel
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(15)
Docetaxel for the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (TA101)
Darolutamide with androgen deprivation therapy and docetaxel for treating hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer (TA903)
Pertuzumab with trastuzumab and docetaxel for treating HER2-positive breast cancer (TA509)
Cabazitaxel for hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer treated with docetaxel (TA391)
Abiraterone for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen (TA259)
Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management (NG131)
Ramucirumab for previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (TA403)
Gemcitabine for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (TA116)
Nintedanib for previously treated locally advanced, metastatic, or locally recurrent non‑small‑cell lung cancer (TA347)
Pemetrexed for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (TA124)
Radium-223 dichloride for treating hormone-relapsed prostate cancer with bone metastases (TA412)
Sotorasib for previously treated KRAS G12C mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (TA781)
Atezolizumab for treating locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer after chemotherapy (TA520)
Enzalutamide for metastatic hormone‑relapsed prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel‑containing regimen (TA316)
Enzalutamide for treating hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer (TA712)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
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Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
51 found
Half-life
8 to 22 days
Mechanism
Docetaxel interferes with the normal function of microtubule growth.
Food interactions
2 warnings
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
70 mg/m
Half-life
8 to 22 days
[L46466]…
Protein binding
94%
Volume of distribution
113 L
Metabolism
[L46466][L46476]…
Elimination
7 days
Clearance
20–115 mg/m
[L46476]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
The use of docetaxel may lead to udesired outcomes such as hepatic impairment, hematologic effects, enterocolitis and neutropenic colitis, hypersensitivity reactions, fluid retention, second primary malignancies, embryo-fetal toxicity, and tumor lysis syndrome.[L46466] Docetaxel was approved by the FDA in 1996 and is available in solution for injection for intravenous or parenteral administration.[A259676]
Docetaxel is also indicated with cisplatin and fluorouracil for untreated, advanced gastric adenocarcinoma, including the gastroesophageal junction, and with cisplatin and fluorouracil for induction treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).
[L46466]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1113 interactions
After an overdose is discovered, patients should receive granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as soon as possible. Other appropriate symptomatic measures should be taken as needed.
[L46466]
In two reports of overdose, one patient received 150 mg/m2, and the other received 200 mg/m2 as 1-hour infusions. Both patients experienced severe neutropenia, mild asthenia, cutaneous reactions, and mild paresthesia, and recovered without incident.
[L46466]
In rats, the oral LD50 of docetaxel is >2000 mg/kg.
The intravenous LD50 in mice is 138 mg/kg.
[L46471]
The use of docetaxel may lead to treatment-related deaths in breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer patients, hepatic impairment, hematologic effects, enterocolitis and neutropenic colitis, hypersensitivity reactions, fluid retention, second primary malignancies, cutaneous reactions, neurologic reactions, eye disorders, asthenia, embryo-fetal toxicity, and tumor lysis syndrome.[L46466]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L46466][L46476]
In a group of patients with solid tumors given 100 mg/m2 of docetaxel intravenously, the Cmax and AUC were 2.41 μg/mL and 5.93 μg⋅h/mL, respectively.
[A259646][A259656]
[L46466]
Doses between 70 and 115 mg/m2 with infusion times of 1 to 2 hours produce a triphasic elimination profile. The half-life of the alpha, beta, and gamma phases are 4 minutes, 36 minutes, and 11.1 hours, respectively.
[L46476]
[L46466][L46476]
[L46466][L46476]
[L46466][L46476]
CYP3A5 also plays a role in the metabolism of this drug.
[A259646]
In humans, docetaxel is metabolized by CYP3A4/5 into four metabolites: M1, M2, M3 and M4. Docetaxel undergoes hydroxylation of the synthetic isobutoxy side chain, forming metabolite M2. The oxidation of M2 forms an unstable aldehyde that is immediately cyclised into the stereoisomers M1 and M3.
M4 is then formed by the oxidation of M1/M3.
[A259651]
One major and three minor metabolites were excreted at this point, with less than 8% as the unchanged drug.
[L46466][L46476]
[L46476]
In patients aged 1 to 20 years with solid tumors that received 55 mg/m2 to 235 mg/m2 of docetaxel in a 1-hour intravenous infusion every 3 weeks, clearance was 17.3 L/h/m2.
[L46466]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:1508712 PMID:8183370
Regulates cell death by controlling the mitochondrial membrane permeability .
PMID:11368354
Appears to function in a feedback loop system with caspases .
PMID:11368354
Inhibits caspase activity either by preventing the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and/or by binding to the apoptosis-activating factor (APAF-1) .
PMID:11368354
Also acts as an inhibitor of autophagy: interacts with BECN1 and AMBRA1 during non-starvation conditions and inhibits their autophagy function .
PMID:18570871 PMID:20889974 PMID:21358617
May attenuate inflammation by impairing NLRP1-inflammasome activation, hence CASP1 activation and IL1B release PMID:17418785
Response to specific ligands is species-specific. Activated by naturally occurring steroids, such as pregnenolone and progesterone. Binds to a response element in the promoters of the CYP3A4 and ABCB1/MDR1 genes
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:8898203 PMID:9038218 PMID:35507548
Catalyzes the flop of phospholipids from the cytoplasmic to the exoplasmic leaflet of the apical membrane. Participates mainly to the flop of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, beta-D-glucosylceramides and sphingomyelins .
PMID:8898203
Energy-dependent efflux pump responsible for decreased drug accumulation in multidrug-resistant cells PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:9038218
PMID:12527806 PMID:15256465
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Mediates multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells by preventing the intracellular accumulation of certain antitumor drugs, such as, docetaxel and paclitaxel .
PMID:15256465 PMID:23087055
Does not transport glycocholic acid, taurocholic acid, MTX, folic acid, cAMP, or cGMP PMID:12527806
PMID:10779507 PMID:15159445 PMID:17412826
Shows broad substrate specificity, can transport both organic anions such as bile acid taurocholate (cholyltaurine) and conjugated steroids (17-beta-glucuronosyl estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and estrone 3-sulfate), as well as eicosanoid leukotriene C4, prostaglandin E2 and L-thyroxine (T4) .
PMID:10779507 PMID:11159893 PMID:12568656 PMID:15159445 PMID:17412826 PMID:19129463
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as the probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions .
PMID:19129463
Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity towards sulfated steroids, taurocholate and T4 which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:19129463
Involved in the clearance of bile acids and organic anions from the liver .
PMID:22232210
Can take up bilirubin glucuronides from plasma into the liver, contributing to the detoxification-enhancing liver-blood shuttling loop .
PMID:22232210
Transports coproporphyrin I and III, by-products of heme synthesis, and may be involved in their hepatic disposition .
PMID:26383540
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Can transport HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (also known as statins) such as pitavastatin, a clinically important class of hypolipidemic drugs .
PMID:15159445
May play an important role in plasma and tissue distribution of the structurally diverse chemotherapeutic drugs methotrexate and paclitaxel .
PMID:23243220
May also transport antihypertension agents, such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prodrug enalapril, and the highly selective angiotensin II AT1-receptor antagonist valsartan, in the liver PMID:16624871 PMID:16627748
PMID:11327718 PMID:18216183 PMID:21446918 PMID:28945155
Contributes to the renal and hepatic elimination of endogenous organic compounds from the systemic circulation into the urine and bile, respectively .
PMID:11327718 PMID:25904762
Capable of transporting a wide range of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides, with cGMP, 2'deoxyguanosine and GMP being the preferred substrates .
PMID:11327718 PMID:18216183 PMID:26377792 PMID:28945155
Functions as a pH- and chloride-independent cGMP bidirectional facilitative transporter that can regulate both intracellular and extracellular levels of cGMP and may be involved in cGMP signaling pathways .
PMID:18216183 PMID:26377792
Mediates orotate/glutamate bidirectional exchange and most likely display a physiological role in hepatic release of glutamate into the blood .
PMID:21446918
Involved in renal secretion and possible reabsorption of creatinine .
PMID:25904762 PMID:28945155
Able to uptake prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and may contribute to PGE2 renal excretion (Probable). Also transports alpha-ketoglutarate and urate .
PMID:11327718 PMID:26377792
Apart from the orotate/glutamate exchange, the counterions for the uptake of other SLC22A7/OAT2 substrates remain to be identified PMID:26377792
PMID:11306452 PMID:12958161 PMID:19506252 PMID:20705604 PMID:28554189 PMID:30405239 PMID:31003562
Involved in porphyrin homeostasis, mediating the export of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) from both mitochondria to cytosol and cytosol to extracellular space, it also functions in the cellular export of heme .
PMID:20705604 PMID:23189181
Also mediates the efflux of sphingosine-1-P from cells .
PMID:20110355
Acts as a urate exporter functioning in both renal and extrarenal urate excretion .
PMID:19506252 PMID:20368174 PMID:22132962 PMID:31003562 PMID:36749388
In kidney, it also functions as a physiological exporter of the uremic toxin indoxyl sulfate (By similarity). Also involved in the excretion of steroids like estrone 3-sulfate/E1S, 3beta-sulfooxy-androst-5-en-17-one/DHEAS, and other sulfate conjugates .
PMID:12682043 PMID:28554189 PMID:30405239
Mediates the secretion of the riboflavin and biotin vitamins into milk (By similarity). Extrudes pheophorbide a, a phototoxic porphyrin catabolite of chlorophyll, reducing its bioavailability (By similarity).
Plays an important role in the exclusion of xenobiotics from the brain (Probable). It confers to cells a resistance to multiple drugs and other xenobiotics including mitoxantrone, pheophorbide, camptothecin, methotrexate, azidothymidine, and the anthracyclines daunorubicin and doxorubicin, through the control of their efflux .
PMID:11306452 PMID:12477054 PMID:15670731 PMID:18056989 PMID:31254042
In placenta, it limits the penetration of drugs from the maternal plasma into the fetus (By similarity). May play a role in early stem cell self-renewal by blocking differentiation (By similarity).
In inflammatory macrophages, exports itaconate from the cytosol to the extracellular compartment and limits the activation of TFEB-dependent lysosome biogenesis involved in antibacterial innate immune response
PMID:10220572 PMID:10421658 PMID:11500505 PMID:16332456
Mediates hepatobiliary excretion of mono- and bis-glucuronidated bilirubin molecules and therefore play an important role in bilirubin detoxification .
PMID:10421658
Also mediates hepatobiliary excretion of others glucuronide conjugates such as 17beta-estradiol 17-glucosiduronic acid and leukotriene C4 .
PMID:11500505
Transports sulfated bile salt such as taurolithocholate sulfate .
PMID:16332456
Transports various anticancer drugs, such as anthracycline, vinca alkaloid and methotrexate and HIV-drugs such as protease inhibitors .
PMID:10220572 PMID:11500505 PMID:12441801
Confers resistance to several anti-cancer drugs including cisplatin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, methotrexate, etoposide and vincristine PMID:10220572 PMID:11500505
PMID:10064732 PMID:11114332 PMID:16230346 PMID:7961706 PMID:9281595
Mediates ATP-dependent transport of glutathione and glutathione conjugates, leukotriene C4, estradiol-17-beta-o-glucuronide, methotrexate, antiviral drugs and other xenobiotics .
PMID:10064732 PMID:11114332 PMID:16230346 PMID:7961706 PMID:9281595
Confers resistance to anticancer drugs by decreasing accumulation of drug in cells, and by mediating ATP- and GSH-dependent drug export .
PMID:9281595
Hydrolyzes ATP with low efficiency .
PMID:16230346
Catalyzes the export of sphingosine 1-phosphate from mast cells independently of their degranulation .
PMID:17050692
Participates in inflammatory response by allowing export of leukotriene C4 from leukotriene C4-synthesizing cells (By similarity). Mediates ATP-dependent, GSH-independent cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) export .
PMID:36070769
Thus, by limiting intracellular cGAMP concentrations negatively regulates the cGAS-STING pathway .
PMID:36070769
Exports S-geranylgeranyl-glutathione (GGG) in lymphoid cells and stromal compartments of lymphoid organs. ABCC1 (via extracellular transport) with GGT5 (via GGG catabolism) establish GGG gradients within lymphoid tissues to position P2RY8-positive lymphocytes at germinal centers in lymphoid follicles and restrict their chemotactic transmigration from blood vessels to the bone marrow parenchyma (By similarity).
Mediates basolateral export of GSH-conjugated R- and S-prostaglandin A2 diastereomers in polarized epithelial cells PMID:9426231
ATC L01CD02
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Docetaxel
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
157
ChemSpider
130581
BindingDB
36351
PDB
TXL
ZINC
ZINC000085537053
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:16257
GenAtlas
TUBB1
GeneCards
TUBB1
GenBank Gene Database
AJ292757
GenBank Protein Database
11230445
UniProt Accession
TBB1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:990
GenAtlas
BCL2
GeneCards
BCL2
GenBank Gene Database
M13994
GenBank Protein Database
179367
Guide to Pharmacology
2844
UniProt Accession
BCL2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:7968
GenAtlas
NR1I2
GeneCards
NR1I2
GenBank Gene Database
AF061056
GenBank Protein Database
3511138
Guide to Pharmacology
606
UniProt Accession
NR1I2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2638
GenAtlas
CYP3A5
GeneCards
CYP3A5
GenBank Gene Database
J04813
GenBank Protein Database
181346
Guide to Pharmacology
1338
UniProt Accession
CP3A5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2640
GeneCards
CYP3A7
GenBank Gene Database
D00408
GenBank Protein Database
220149
UniProt Accession
CP3A7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2597
GenAtlas
CYP1B1
GeneCards
CYP1B1
GenBank Gene Database
U03688
GenBank Protein Database
501031
Guide to Pharmacology
1320
UniProt Accession
CP1B1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:40
GenAtlas
ABCB1
GeneCards
ABCB1
GenBank Gene Database
M14758
GenBank Protein Database
307180
Guide to Pharmacology
768
UniProt Accession
MDR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:52
GeneCards
ABCC10
GenBank Gene Database
AY032599
GenBank Protein Database
21103955
UniProt Accession
MRP7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10961
GeneCards
SLCO1B3
GenBank Gene Database
AJ251506
GenBank Protein Database
9187497
Guide to Pharmacology
1221
UniProt Accession
SO1B3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10971
GeneCards
SLC22A7
GenBank Gene Database
AF097518
GenBank Protein Database
5001689
UniProt Accession
S22A7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:74
GenAtlas
ABCG2
GeneCards
ABCG2
GenBank Gene Database
AF103796
GenBank Protein Database
4185796
Guide to Pharmacology
792
UniProt Accession
ABCG2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:53
GenAtlas
ABCC2
GeneCards
ABCC2
GenBank Gene Database
U63970
GenBank Protein Database
1764162
Guide to Pharmacology
780
UniProt Accession
MRP2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:51
GenAtlas
ABCC1
GeneCards
ABCC1
GenBank Gene Database
L05628
GenBank Protein Database
1835659
Guide to Pharmacology
779
UniProt Accession
MRP1_HUMAN
International reference pricing
Reference pricing from DrugBank. Prices are indicative and may not reflect current UK costs.
Source: DrugBank. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0 academic licence for non-commercial purposes.
Patent information
8 active patents, 4 expired
Source: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0. Patent data sourced from national patent offices. Expiry dates may not reflect extensions, regulatory exclusivity periods, or legal challenges.
DrugBank citations
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