Paclitaxel 474mg/500ml in Sodium chloride 0.9% infusion bags
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Paclitaxel is a chemotherapeutic agent marketed under the brand name Taxol among others.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
View Drug Analysis Profile
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Paclitaxel
Browse all iDAP reports
Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles for all medicines
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
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
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
View EudraVigilance report
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Paclitaxel
About EudraVigilance
Learn about EU pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring
EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 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.
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Paclitaxel
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(14)
Guidance on the use of paclitaxel in the treatment of ovarian cancer (TA55)
Pembrolizumab with carboplatin and paclitaxel for untreated primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (TA1092)
Paclitaxel as albumin-bound nanoparticles with gemcitabine for untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer (TA476)
Atezolizumab with nab-paclitaxel for untreated PD-L1-positive, locally advanced or metastatic, triple-negative breast cancer (TA639)
Topotecan, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride, paclitaxel, trabectedin and gemcitabine for treating recurrent ovarian cancer (TA389)
Bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin for first-line treatment of advanced ovarian cancer (TA284)
Pembrolizumab with carboplatin and paclitaxel for untreated metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (TA770)
Paclitaxel as albumin-bound nanoparticles with carboplatin for untreated non-small-cell lung cancer (terminated appraisal) (TA362)
Bevacizumab with carboplatin, gemcitabine and paclitaxel for treating the first recurrence of platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer (terminated appraisal) (TA560)
Atezolizumab with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel for untreated advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (terminated appraisal) (TA618)
Ovarian cancer: recognition and initial management (CG122)
Gemcitabine for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (TA116)
Bevacizumab in combination with a taxane for the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer (TA214)
Atezolizumab in combination for treating metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (TA584)
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
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
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
24 hour
Mechanism
Paclitaxel interferes with the normal function of microtubule growth.
Food interactions
3 warnings
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
24 hour
Half-life
24 hour
Protein binding
89%
Volume of distribution
227 to 688 L
Metabolism
Elimination
250 mg/m
Clearance
21.7 L/h
* 23.8…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1546 interactions
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
* 23.8 L/h/m2 [Dose 175 mg/m2, infusion duration 24 h]
* 7 L/h/m2 [Dose 135 mg/m2, infusion duration 3 h]
* 12.2 L/h/m2 [Dose 175 mg/m2, infusion duration 3 h]
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:15791618 PMID:16332456 PMID:18985798 PMID:19228692 PMID:20010382 PMID:20398791 PMID:22262466 PMID:24711118 PMID:29507376 PMID:32203132
Transports taurine-conjugated bile salts more rapidly than glycine-conjugated bile salts .
PMID:16332456
Also transports non-bile acid compounds, such as pravastatin and fexofenadine in an ATP-dependent manner and may be involved in their biliary excretion PMID:15901796 PMID:18245269
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: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
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: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
Involved compounds
ATC L01CD01
ATC L01CD51
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Paclitaxel
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
732
ChemSpider
10368587
BindingDB
50001839
PDB
TA1
Guide to Pharmacology
2770
ZINC
ZINC000096006020
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:2594
GenAtlas
CYP19A1
GeneCards
CYP19A1
GenBank Gene Database
M22246
GenBank Protein Database
179002
Guide to Pharmacology
1362
UniProt Accession
CP19A_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:2622
GenAtlas
CYP2C8
GeneCards
CYP2C8
GenBank Gene Database
M17397
Guide to Pharmacology
1325
UniProt Accession
CP2C8_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:42
GenAtlas
ABCB11
GeneCards
ABCB11
GenBank Gene Database
AF091582
GenBank Protein Database
3873243
Guide to Pharmacology
778
UniProt Accession
ABCBB_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:51
GenAtlas
ABCC1
GeneCards
ABCC1
GenBank Gene Database
L05628
GenBank Protein Database
1835659
Guide to Pharmacology
779
UniProt Accession
MRP1_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:53
GenAtlas
ABCC2
GeneCards
ABCC2
GenBank Gene Database
U63970
GenBank Protein Database
1764162
Guide to Pharmacology
780
UniProt Accession
MRP2_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
7 active patents, 10 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
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: