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Drug

Capecitabine

Approved · FDA / EMA
ClassThymidylate synthase inhibitorEmerging researchLate-stage developmentSteady momentum
Also known as Xeloda, Capecitabin, Capecitabina, Capécitabine+2 more

Xeloda, Capecitabin, Capecitabina, Capécitabine, (1-(5-Deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-5-fluoro-1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-4-pyrimidinyl)-carbamic acid pentyl ester, Capecitabinum.

17
Research papers
54
Active clinical trials
Thymidylate synthase
Primary target
20
Regulatory events
Latest activity
beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this drug.

Triple-Negative PAM50 Non-Basal Breast Cancer Subtype Predicts Benefit from Extended Adjuvant Capecitabine.

Research2023-01-01Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research

Profile

Identifiers & mechanism

Canonical identifiers, marketed brand names and mechanism, resolved across RxNorm, ChEMBL and ATC.

Canonical name
Capecitabine
Aliases & brands
XelodaCapecitabinCapecitabinaCapécitabine(1-(5-Deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-5-fluoro-1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-4-pyrimidinyl)-carbamic acid pentyl esterCapecitabinum
RxNorm CUI
194000
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1773
ATC codes
L01BC06
UNII
6804DJ8Z9U
Primary mechanism
Thymidylate synthase inhibitor
Regulatory jurisdictions
emamhrafda

Pharmacology & targets

1 target

Known molecular targets and mechanisms supported by curated pharmacology databases.

Thymidylate synthase
TYMS · P04818
INHIBITORThymidylate synthase inhibitor

Regulatory timeline

20 events

The complete regulatory record, grouped by authority — approvals, safety advisories and label changes. Each authority shows its most recent events; expand one to read its full history.

Earliest approval
2001-02-02
Latest approval
2024-03-05
Authorities
FDA · EMA · MHRA
Total events
20
fdaU.S. Food and Drug Administration· 14 events
2026-07-01Label change
Label change: CAPECITABINE (ANDA210203)
Evidence ↗
2026-07-01Label change
Label change: CAPECITABINE (ANDA211724)
Evidence ↗
2026-06-09Label change
Label change: CAPECITABINE (ANDA202593)
Evidence ↗
emaEuropean Medicines Agency· 5 events
2012-11-19Approval
Approval: Capecitabine Medac (EMA)
Indication: Capecitabine Medac is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients following surgery of stage-III (Dukes’ stage-C) colon cancer. Capecitabine Medac is indicated for theShow full indication

Capecitabine Medac is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients following surgery of stage-III (Dukes’ stage-C) colon cancer. Capecitabine Medac is indicated for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Capecitabine Medac is indicated for first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer in combination with a platinum-based regimen. Capecitabine Medac in combination with docetaxel is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Previous therapy should have included an anthracycline. Capecitabine Medac is also indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of taxanes and an anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimen or for whom further anthracycline therapy is not indicated.

Evidence ↗
2012-04-20Approval
Approval: Capecitabine Teva (EMA)
Indication: Capecitabine Teva is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients following surgery of stage III (Dukes’ stage C) colon cancer. Capecitabine Teva is indicated for theShow full indication

Capecitabine Teva is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients following surgery of stage III (Dukes’ stage C) colon cancer. Capecitabine Teva is indicated for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Capecitabine Teva is indicated for first?line treatment of advanced gastric cancer in combination with a platinum?based regimen. Capecitabine Teva in combination with docetaxel is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Previous therapy should have included an anthracycline. Capecitabine Teva is also indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of taxanes and an anthracycline containing chemotherapy regimen or for whom further anthracycline therapy is not indicated.

Evidence ↗
2012-04-20Approval
Approval: Ecansya (previously Capecitabine Krka) (EMA)
Indication: Ecansya is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients following surgery of stage-III (Dukes’ stage-C) colon cancer. Ecansya is indicated for the treatment of metastaticShow full indication

Ecansya is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients following surgery of stage-III (Dukes’ stage-C) colon cancer. Ecansya is indicated for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Ecansya is indicated for first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer in combination with a platinum-based regimen. Ecansya in combination with docetaxel is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Previous therapy should have included an anthracycline. Ecansya is also indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of taxanes and an anthracycline containing chemotherapy regimen or for whom further anthracycline therapy is not indicated.

Evidence ↗
mhraMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency· 1 event
2014-12-11Safety communicationSafety
Drug Safety Update: Capecitabine: risk of severe skin reactions - discontinue treatment
Evidence ↗

Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), public domain (CC0).

Contains information from the European Medicines Agency (European Medicines Agency), © EMA, reused under CC BY 4.0.

Contains public sector information from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licensed under the Open Government Licence (OGL v3).

Clinical trials

195 trials

The current development programme across all trial phases — status mix, phase distribution and the late-stage studies shaping the evidence base.

Development programme
CLINICALTRIALS.GOV · LIVE REGISTRY
195
registered trials across all phases
LATEST COMPLETION 2025
54
Active studies
46
Recruiting
52
Late-stage (III+)
88
Completed
53
Discontinued
PHASE DISTRIBUTIONn = 195
Phase 133Phase 1 / 218Phase 292Phase 2 / 37Phase 339Phase 43Phase N / A3

Late-stage studies

Phase III+ trials still open or recently active — where late-stage evidence is being generated.

Recent completions

Trials that read out recently, adding to the completed evidence base.

Research activity

17 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this drug, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time
20052025
Most influential

Adjuvant Capecitabine for Breast Cancer after Preoperative Chemotherapy.

The New England journal of medicine · 2017 · 1,276 cites

Tucatinib, Trastuzumab, and Capecitabine for HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2020 · 948 cites

Chemotherapy, bevacizumab, and cetuximab in metastatic colorectal cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2009 · 938 cites

Randomized phase III trial of capecitabine compared with bevacizumab plus capecitabine in patients with previously treated metastatic breast cancer.

Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2005 · 892 cites

Adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with early-stage breast cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2009 · 382 cites
Recent papers
Major research themes8
Breast Neoplasms2Colorectal Neoplasms2Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols1Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases1Fluorouracil1Gastrointestinal Microbiome1Immunoconjugates1Mastectomy1
Journals, researchers & institutions
Top journals
  • Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology6
  • The New England journal of medicine4
  • BMC cancer1
  • Clinical breast cancer1
  • Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research1
  • Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine1
Leading researchers
  • Hamilton E3
  • Hudis CA3
  • Winer EP3
  • Abramson V2
  • Anders C2
  • Bachelot T2
  • Baselga J2
  • Bedard PL2
Leading institutions
free-text, unnormalised
  • Centro de Pesquisa Clínica Hospital São Lucas da PUCRS2
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute2
  • Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia2
  • Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer2
  • Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío2
  • Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón2

Related diseases

4 conditions

Regulator-approved indications and conditions co-mentioned with this drug across the research literature. Number shows shared papers.

Related drugs

6 matches

Drugs sharing diseases, protein targets and literature with this one. Ranked by graph evidence (shared targets + diseases weighted above co-mentions).

Acts on the same molecular target as Capecitabine, with 5 overlapping disease areas.

Shared target5 shared diseases3 shared papers

Studied across 5 of the same disease areas as Capecitabine in the shared literature.

5 shared diseases2 shared papers

Studied across 3 of the same disease areas as Capecitabine in the shared literature.

3 shared diseases3 shared papers

Studied across 2 of the same disease areas as Capecitabine in the shared literature.

2 shared diseases1 shared paper

Studied across 2 of the same disease areas as Capecitabine in the shared literature.

2 shared diseases1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Capecitabine in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper
References & data sources
  • RxNorm (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — drug identity
  • ChEMBL (EMBL-EBI) & UniProt — pharmacology and targets
  • Europe PMC — research literature
  • ClinicalTrials.gov — clinical trials
  • Regulatory event sources are credited in the Regulatory Timeline above.