Treatments
TL;DR: 30 FDA-approved drugs have labels that mention colorectal cancer in their indications. Grouped below by mechanism of action. This list gives you the vocabulary — your oncologist chooses a regimen based on your specific subtype, stage, biomarkers, and prior therapies.
Source: OpenFDA drug label API · last checked
Cost transparency
Drugs below have published Medicare Part B or Part D spending figures — what the federal government actually paid per beneficiary in 2023.
Immunotherapy (PD-1 inhibitor)
Immunotherapy (PD-1 inhibitor)
Immunotherapy (CTLA-4 inhibitor)
Targeted antibody (VEGF)
Figures are average Medicare spending per beneficiary. Out-of-pocket varies by insurance and manufacturer assistance. See all drug costs →
Drugs that activate or modify the immune system to attack cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors (targeting PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4) are the most common.
CTLA-4-directed Blocking Antibody [EPC] · CTLA-4-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE YERVOY is a human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4)-blocking antibody indicated for: Melanoma • Treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older as a single…
Programmed Death Receptor-1 Blocking Antibody [EPC] · Programmed Death Receptor-1-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE OPDIVO is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of: Melanoma • adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, as a single agen…
Programmed Death Receptor-1 Blocking Antibody [EPC] · Endoglycosidase [EPC]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE OPDIVO QVANTIG is a combination of nivolumab, a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody, and hyaluronidase, an endoglycosidase, indicated for the treatment of: Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) • adult patients…
Programmed Death Receptor-1 Blocking Antibody [EPC] · Programmed Death Receptor-1-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE KEYTRUDA is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody indicated: Melanoma for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. ( 1.1 ) for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric…
Endoglycosidase [EPC] · Programmed Death Receptor-1 Blocking Antibody [EPC]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE KEYTRUDA QLEX is a combination of pembrolizumab, a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody, and berahyaluronidase alfa, an endoglycosidase, indicated: Melanoma for the treatment of adult patients with un…
Monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that bind specific proteins on cancer cells.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor [EPC] · Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Avastin is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: Metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treatm…
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor [EPC] · Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE VEGZELMA is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: Metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treat…
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor [EPC] · Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE MVASI is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: Metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treatmen…
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor [EPC] · Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE ZIRABEV is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: • Metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line trea…
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Alymsys is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: Metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treatm…
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor [EPC] · Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-directed Antibody Interactions [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Jobevne is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of: • Metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first-or second-line treat…
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Antagonist [EPC] · HER1 Antagonists [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE ERBITUX ® is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antagonist indicated for treatment of: Head and Neck Cancer Locally or regionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in combination with radi…
Small-molecule drugs taken by mouth that block specific molecular pathways driving cancer growth (kinases, PARP, CDK4/6, etc.).
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE TAFINLAR is a kinase inhibitor indicated as a single agent for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test. ( 1.1 , 2.1 ) TAFINLAR i…
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE BRAFTOVI is a kinase inhibitor indicated: Melanoma • in combination with binimetinib, for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600E or V600K mutation, as detected by an FDA-…
From the FDA label: 1. INDICATIONS AND USAGE FRUZAQLA is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have been previously treated with fluoropyrimidine‑, oxaliplatin‑, and irinotecan‑based chemotherapy, an anti‑VE…
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 Antagonist [EPC] · VEGFR2 Inhibitors [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE CYRAMZA ® is a human vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) antagonist indicated: as a single agent or in combination with paclitaxel, for treatment of adults with advanced or metastatic gastric or ga…
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE STIVARGA is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with: • Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who have been previously treated with fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based chemo…
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE MEKINIST is a kinase inhibitor indicated as a single agent for the treatment of BRAF-inhibitor treatment-naïve patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E or V600K mutations as detected by an FD…
Kinase Inhibitor [EPC] · Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE TUKYSA is a kinase inhibitor indicated: • in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine for treatment of adult patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including patients with…
Cytotoxic drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells. Includes platinums, taxanes, antimetabolites, alkylators, topoisomerase inhibitors, and anthracyclines.
Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor [EPC] · Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Capecitabine tablet is a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor indicated for: Colorectal Cancer • adjuvant treatment of patients with Stage III colon cancer as a single agent or as a component of a combination chemotherapy
Platinum-based Drug [EPC]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Oxaliplatin Injection, in combination with infusional fluorouracil and leucovorin, is indicated for: adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer in patients who have undergone complete resection of the primary tumor…
Drugs whose pharmacologic class was not automatically classified into the groups above. Check the FDA label for mechanism details.
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE KRAZATI is an inhibitor of the RAS GTPase family indicated for: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)* • As a single agent, for the treatment of adult patients with KRAS G12C-mutated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC…
From the FDA label: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Leucovorin calcium rescue is indicated after high dose methotrexate therapy in osteosarcoma. Leucovorin calcium is also indicated to diminish the toxicity and counteract the effects of impaired methotrexate elimination…
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Levoleucovorin injection is indicated for: rescue after high-dose methotrexate therapy in adult and pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. diminishing the toxicity associated with overdosage of folic acid antagonists
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Levoleucovorin Injection is indicated for: rescue after high-dose methotrexate therapy in adult and pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. diminishing the toxicity associated with overdosage of folic acid antagonists
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Levoleucovorin injection is indicated for: rescue after high-dose methotrexate therapy in adult and pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. diminishing the toxicity associated with overdosage of folic acid antagonists
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Antagonist [EPC] · HER1 Antagonists [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Vectibix is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antagonist indicated for the treatment of: Adult patients with wild-type RAS (defined as wild-type in both KRAS and NRAS as determined by an FDA-approved test) M…
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE LUMAKRAS is an inhibitor of the RAS GTPase family indicated for: KRAS G12C-mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) As a single agent, for the treatment of adult patients with KRAS G1…
Nucleoside Analog Antiviral [EPC] · Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor [EPC]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE LONSURF is a combination of trifluridine, a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor, and tipiracil, a thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor, indicated for the treatment of adult patients with: metastatic colorectal cancer as a si…
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor [EPC] · Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitors [MoA]
From the FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE ZALTRAP, in combination with fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan-(FOLFIRI), is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that is resistant to or has progressed following an oxa…
Disease foundations below have active funds covering colorectal cancer medications. Manufacturer patient-assistance programs are listed on each drug's cost page.
copay, premium, and deductible assistance for insured patients; fund availability varies by disease
https://www.healthwellfoundation.org/disease-funds/Funds open and close based on availability; check disease-funds page for current status
copay assistance for 20+ cancer types via disease-specific funds
https://www.panfoundation.org/find-disease-fund/Merging with Patient Advocate Foundation; unified 'TotalAssist' program launches 2026-07-01
direct copay / coinsurance assistance via disease-specific funds
https://copays.org/Merging with PAN Foundation; launching 'TotalAssist' 2026-07-01
copay assistance for chemotherapy and targeted treatment medications
https://www.cancercare.org/copayfoundationlimited financial assistance for transportation, home care, child care, and treatment-related costs
https://www.cancercare.org/financialTrials test new therapies before they are FDA-approved. Often a way to access tomorrow's drugs today.
Back to Colorectal Cancer hub →Stats, second opinions, NCI cancer centers, oncologists.
Understand biomarkers →Most targeted therapies require biomarker testing. Here's what you need to know.
Read your pathology report →Which drugs apply to you depends on what's in your pathology.