Drug interactions
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + Pembrolizumab
Severity: Minor
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and Pembrolizumab: minor interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Observational data link antibiotic exposure around the start of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy with poorer outcomes, possibly through gut microbiome disruption. The evidence is associative and confounded by patient illness severity. The effect on any individual patient is uncertain.
What this interaction means in plain words
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and Pembrolizumab have a small, usually unimportant interaction. Most people can take both; the pharmacist may still mention it so that any unexpected effect is recognised.
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid belongs to Anti Bacterial; Pembrolizumab belongs to Oncology.
Why it happens
Proposed disruption of gut microbiota that may modulate antitumor immune response; not firmly established.
What to do
Prescribe the antibiotic only when there is a clear infection indication and keep the course as short as clinically appropriate. Do not withhold needed antibiotics.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there anything I should notice while taking both?
- Do I need to tell my doctor at the next visit?
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Other interactions of Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid
- Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + Methotrexate Major
- Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + Pexidartinib Major
- Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + Pretomanid Major
- Allopurinol + Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid Moderate
- Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + Bcg vaccine live Moderate
- Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + Chloramphenicol Moderate
Other interactions of Pembrolizumab
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid with Pembrolizumab?
MediHelp rates the interaction as minor. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and Pembrolizumab have a small, usually unimportant interaction. Most people can take both; the pharmacist may still mention it so that any unexpected effect is recognised. Observational data link antibiotic exposure around the start of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy with poorer outcomes, possibly through gut microbiome disruption. The evidence is associative and confounded by patient illness severity. The effect on any individual patient is uncertain.
How serious is the interaction between Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and Pembrolizumab?
MediHelp rates it minor, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Prescribe the antibiotic only when there is a clear infection indication and keep the course as short as clinically appropriate. Do not withhold needed antibiotics.
What other medicines interact with Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid with, for example, Methotrexate, Pexidartinib, Pretomanid. The full list is on the Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid page.
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