BOCEPREVIR
(boe SEP re vir) Brand: Victrelis
What is the most significant information I must know about boceprevir?
• Boceprevir is used in combination with peginterferon alfa (Pegasys, PegIntron) and ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere, RibaTab) to treat hepatitis C in adults.
• Do not take boceprevir as your only medicine to treat hepatitis C. Boceprevir should be used in combination with peginterferon alfa (Pegasys, PegIntron) and ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere, RibaTab).
• Boceprevir is given together with interferon alfa and ribavirin. Do not use this combination of drugs if you are pregnant, or if you are a man and your sexual partner is pregnant.
• Certain another drugs may interact with boceprevir or must not be used at the same time. Speak every of your healthcare providers about all medicines you use now, and any medication you start or stop using.
What is boceprevir?
• Boceprevir is an antiviral medicine that prevents determined virus cells from multiplying in your body.
• Boceprevir is used in combination with peginterferon alfa (Pegasys, PegIntron) and ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere, RibaTab) to treat hepatitis C in adults.
• Read the medicine manual or patient instructions provided with every medicine in your combination therapy. Do not change your doses or medicine schedule without your doctor's advice. Each face with hepatitis C must stay under the care of a doctor.
• Boceprevir is generally given to people who have never been treated for hepatitis C, or after interferon and ribavirin have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.
• Boceprevir may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking boceprevir?
• You must not use boceprevir if you are allergic to it.
• To create certain you can safely take boceprevir, speak your doctor if you have hepatitis B or cirrhosis of the liver.
• Some medicines can reason unwanted or dangerous effects when used with boceprevir. Your doctor may need to change your treatment plan if you use any of the next drugs:
· alfuzosin;
· cisapride;
· drospirenone (Yasmin, Yaz, and others);
· pimozide;
· rifampin;
· St. John's wort;
· lovastatin or simvastatin;
· sildenafil (Revatio) or tadalafil (Adcirca) when used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension;
· HIV or AIDS drug combinations that include ritonavir plus atazanavir, darunavir or lopinavir;
· the seizure medications carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin; or
· ergonovine, ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, D.H.E. 45, methylergonovine (Methergine).
• FDA pregnancy category X. Boceprevir is given together with interferon alfa and ribavirin. Although boceprevir is not expected to harm an unborn child, ribavirin is known to reason birth defects or death in an unborn child. Do not use this combination of drugs if you are pregnant, or if you are a man and your sexual partner is pregnant. If you are a woman, you may need to have a negative pregnancy test till using these medications and each month during your treatment.
· Use at least 2 non-hormonal forms of birth control while either sexual partner is using boceprevir with interferon alfa and ribavirin. Hold using 2 forms of birth control for at least 6 months after treatment ends.
· If you are a woman, do not use boceprevir with interferon alfa and ribavirin if you are pregnant.
· If you are a man, do not use boceprevir with interferon alfa and ribavirin if your sexual partner is pregnant. An unborn child could also be harmed if a man fathers the baby while he is taking ribavirin.
· Hormonal contraception (such as birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings) may not be effective satis to prevent pregnancy during your treatment. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, intrauterine device (IUD), diaphragm with spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking boceprevir.
· Speak your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using boceprevir with interferon alfa and ribavirin.
• It is not known whether boceprevir passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. You must not breast-feed while you are using boceprevir.
How must I take boceprevir?
• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medication in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.
• Do not take boceprevir as your only medicine to treat hepatitis C. Boceprevir should be used in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin. Your malady may become resistant to boceprevir if you do not take it in combination with another medicines your doctor has prescribed.
• Take boceprevir with food. The normal doze of boceprevir is 4 capsules taken 3 times for day, each 7 to 9 hours. Follow your doctor's instructions.
• Your total daily doze of 12 capsules is contained in a single bottle of boceprevir. A carton of boceprevir contains 28 bottles for a 4-week supply.
• While using boceprevir, you may need frequent blood trials at your doctor's office.
• Store boceprevir capsules in the refrigerator, do not freeze. Throw away any unused capsules after the expiration date on the label has passed.
• You may also store the capsules at room temperature for up to 3 months. Protect the capsules from heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if your following doze is smaller than 2 hours away. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed doze.
What happens if I overdose?
• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What must I avoid while taking boceprevir?
• Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.
What are the possible side effects of boceprevir?
• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop using boceprevir and call your doctor at once if you have:
· pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating; or
· fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat.
• General side effects may include:
· weary feeling;
· headache;
· altered sense of taste; or
· nausea.
• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What another drugs will affect boceprevir?
• Much drugs can interact with boceprevir. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Speak your doctor about all your medications and any you start or stop using during treatment with boceprevir, especially:
· an antibiotic;
· an antidepressant;
· an antifungal medication;
· anti-malaria drugs;
· anti-psychotic medication;
· asthma or allergy medicine (including inhaled steroids);
· birth control or hormone replacement therapy that contains estrogen or progesterone;
· a blood thinner or medication to prevent blood clots;
· cancer medicine;
· cholesterol-lowering drugs;
· cool or allergy medication that contains an antihistamine;
· gout medication;
· heart or blood pressure medication;
· heart rhythm medication;
· HIV/AIDS medications;
· medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection;
· narcotic medication;
· oral diabetes medication;
· a sedative (Valium, Xanax, BuSpar, and others);
· seizure medicine; or
· stomach acid reducers (Prevacid, Zofran, and others).
• This list is not complete and much another drugs can interact with boceprevir. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist can provide more information about boceprevir.
Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.
Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.