Purpose Docetaxel is extensively metabolized by CYP3A4 in the liver, but mechanisms by which the drug is taken up into hepatocytes remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that (i) liver uptake of docetaxel is mediated by the polymorphic solute carriers OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, and (ii) that inherited genetic defects in this process may impair systemic drug elimination. Methods Transport of docetaxel was studied in vitro using various cell lines stably transfected with OATP1B1*1A (wildtype), OATP1B1*5 [c.521T>C (V174A); rs4149056], OATP1B3, or the mouse transporter Oatp1b2. Docetaxel clearance was evaluated in wildtype and Oatp1b2-knockout mice, as well as in 141 white patients with multiple variant transporter genotypes. Results Docetaxel was found to be a substrate for OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and Oatp1b2, but was not transported by OATP1B1*5. Deficiency of Oatp1b2 in mice was associated with an 18-fold decrease in docetaxel clearance (P=0.0099), which was unrelated to changes in intrinsic metabolic capacity in mouse liver microsomes. In patients, however, none of the studied common reduced-function variants in OATP1B1 or OATP1B3 were associated with docetaxel clearance (P>0.05). Conclusions The existence of at least two potentially redundant uptake transporters in the human liver with similar affinity for docetaxel supports the possibility that functional defects in both of these proteins may be required to confer substantially altered disposition phenotypes. In view of the established exposure-toxicity relationships for docetaxel, we suggest that extreme caution is warranted if docetaxel has to be administered together with agents that potently inhibit both OATP1B1 and OATP1B3.