Flavopiridol inhibits a variety of cyclin kinases as well as cyclin D, cdks 1, 2, 4, and 7.

Other effects include depletion of vascular endothelial growth factor-F (VEGF), DNA binding, and inhibition of glycogen phosphorylation. By inhibiting the D cyclins flavopiridol could induce cell cycle arrest, making it a potentially useful therapeutic agent in mantle cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other malignancies.