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Nilotinib (Oral)

Generic name: nilotinib [ nye-LOE-ti-nib ]
Brand name: Tasigna
Drug class: BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 7, 2023.

Oral route(Capsule)

Prolongation of the QT interval and sudden death have been reported. Do not use nilotinib in the presence of hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, or long QT syndrome. Hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia must be corrected prior to nilotinib administration and monitored during treatment. Avoid drugs that prolong the QT interval and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. Avoid food 2 hours before and 1 hour after taking nilotinib. ECGs should be obtained to monitor the QTc .

Uses for nilotinib

Nilotinib is used to treat Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in adults and children who are newly diagnosed. It is also given to adults and children with Ph+ CML in chronic phase (CP) or accelerated phase (AP) who have taken other medicines (eg, imatinib, tyrosine-kinase inhibitor) but did not work well. Leukemia is a type of cancer where the body makes too many abnormal white blood cells.

Nilotinib belongs to the general group of medicines known as antineoplastics or cancer medicines. It interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal cells may also be affected by nilotinib, other effects will also occur. Some of these may be serious and must be reported to your doctor. Other effects may not be serious but may cause concern.

Before you begin treatment with nilotinib, you and your doctor should talk about the benefits this medicine will do as well as the possible risks of using it.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using nilotinib

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of nilotinib in children younger than 1 year of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of nilotinib in the elderly.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Proper use of nilotinib

Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. Do not change the dose or stop using this medicine without checking first with your doctor.

This medicine should come with a Medication Guide. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

It is best to take this medicine on an empty stomach (at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal).

Swallow the capsule whole with water. If you have trouble swallowing the capsule, open it and sprinkle the contents in one teaspoon of applesauce (puréed apple). Do not sprinkle Tasigna® on other foods. This mixture must be taken right away within 15 minutes and should not be stored for later use.

If you are taking an H2 blocker medicine (eg, famotidine), take it at least 10 hours before or 2 hours after using nilotinib.

If you are taking an antacid that contains aluminum, magnesium, or simethicone, take it at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after using nilotinib.

Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you are using this medicine. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may change the amount of the medicine that is absorbed in the body.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Precautions while using nilotinib

If you will be taking this medicine for a long time, it is very important that your doctor check you and your child's progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. If you are a woman who can get pregnant, your doctor may do tests to make sure you are not pregnant before starting this medicine. Use an effective form of birth control during treatment with this medicine and for at least 14 days after the last dose to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.

This medicine can cause changes in the heart rhythm, including a condition called QT prolongation. It may change the way your heart beats and cause fainting or serious side effects in some patients. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have a fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat. Your doctor will check your heartbeat with an ECG test (electrocardiogram) before, during, and 7 days after starting treatment with nilotinib.

After at least 3 years of treatment with this medicine, your doctor may do certain tests to check if you continue to show no symptoms of your cancer (remission) and may let you stop taking it. This is called treatment free remission (TFR). However, you may need to restart treatment, at a later time, if you are no longer in remission.

This medicine may cause heart or blood vessel problems, including decreased blood flow to the legs, heart, or brain. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have chest pain or discomfort, numbness or weakness, change in the color of the legs, leg pain, or problems with walking or speaking.

Nilotinib can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

Pancreatitis and other pancreas problems may occur while you are using this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have sudden and severe stomach pain with nausea and vomiting.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

This medicine may cause a serious type of reaction called tumor lysis syndrome. Your doctor may give you or your child a medicine to help prevent this. Call your doctor right away if you or your child have a decrease or change in the amount of your urine, joint pain, stiffness, or swelling, lower back, side, or stomach pain, a rapid weight gain, swelling of the feet or lower legs, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

This medicine may cause fluid retention (edema). Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet, rapid weight gain, or trouble breathing.

This medicine may affect your child's growth and development. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects of nilotinib

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Less common

Less common or rare

Incidence not known

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

Available Dosage Forms:

Therapeutic Class: Antineoplastic Agent

Pharmacologic Class: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Frequently asked questions

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.