doxycycline + erlotinib

A combination therapy consisting of doxycycline, an antibiotic, and erlotinib, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. This combination has been studied primarily for managing erlotinib-induced skin toxicity, such as folliculitis and rash, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic cancer receiving erlotinib therapy. While a randomized phase II trial indicated that doxycycline did not significantly reduce the incidence of erlotinib-induced folliculitis (71% vs 81%), it did significantly reduce its severity. This allows patients to potentially continue their cancer treatment with fewer dermatologic complications. Another study showed successful treatment of erlotinib-induced alopecia with doxycycline when other treatments failed.