Nexavar is an oral multikinase inhibitor for the treatment of two common types of cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Until now, patients with HCC have had limited treatment options. Now, Nexavar offers a new treatment option with proven clinical benefit for HCC. This web site provides the latest information about Nexavar for the treatment of patients with HCC and for the treatment of patients with advanced RCC.
Term Explanation for term. |
Essential Information
Name of the medicinal product : Nexavar® 200 mg film-coated tablets.
Qualitative and quantitative composition: 200 mg sorafenib (as tosylate)
Indication: 1. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. 2. Treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have failed prior interferon-alpha or interleukin-2 based therapy or are considered unsuitable for such therapy. Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to sorafenib or to any of the excipients. Warnings and Precautions: Hand-foot skin reaction and rash, usually CTC grade 1 and 2. Increased incidence of arterial hypertension (usually mild to moderate, early in the course of treatment). Blood pressure should be monitored regularly and treated as appropriate. Increased risk of bleeding. Increased incidence of cardiac ischaemia/infarction. Use sorafenib with caution in patients who may have, or may develop prolongation of QTc, and consider periodic monitoring (on-treatment electrocardiograms, electrolytes). Gastrointestinal perforation in less than 1%; sorafenib to be discontinued. Levels of sorafenib may be increased in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Infrequent bleeding events or elevations in INR have been reported in some patients taking warfarin concomitantly. Patients on such therapy should be monitored. Temporary treatment interruption and/or dose modification or discontinuation may be considered, depending on the severity of the observed adverse reactions. No formal studies on wound healing have been conducted. Temporary interruption of sorafenib therapy is recommended in patients undergoing major surgical procedures. Experience of use in the elderly is limited and cases of renal failure have been reported. High risk patients according to MSKCC prognostic group were not included in the phase III study in renal cell carcinoma and benefit-risk has not been evaluated in these patients. Caution is recommended when administering sorafenib with compounds that are metabolised/eliminated predominantly by the UGT1A1 (e.g. irinotecan) or UGT1A9 pathways. Caution is recommended when sorafenib is co-administered with docetaxel. The risk of reduced plasma concentrations of sorafenib should be considered before starting a treatment course with antibiotics. Higher mortality has been reported in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung with sorafenib in combination with platinum-based chemotherapies. Undesirable effects: Very common: lymphopenia, hypophosphataemia, haemorrhage (incl. gastrointestinal, respiratory tract, cerebral), hypertension, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, rash, alopecia, hand-foot syndrome (palmar plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome), erythema, pruritus, fatigue, pain (mouth, abdominal, bone, tumour, headache), increased amylase and lipase. Common: leucopenia, neutropenia, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, anorexia, depression, peripheral sensory neuropathy, tinnitus, congestive heart failure, myocardial ischemia and infarction, hoarseness, constipation, stomatitis (including dry mouth and glossodynia), dyspepsia, dysphagia, dry skin, dermatitis exfoliative, acne, skin desquamation, arthralgia, myalgia, renal failure, erectile dysfunction, asthenia, fever, influenza like illness, weight decrease, transient increase in transaminases. Uncommon: folliculitis, infection, hypersensitivity reactions (including skin reactions and urticaria), hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hyponatraemia, dehydration, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy, hypertensive crisis, rhinorrhea, interstitial lung disease–like events (pneumonitis, radiation pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress, etc), gastro oesophageal reflux disease, pancreatitis, gastritis, gastrointestinal perforations, increase in bilirubin, jaundice, cholecystitis, cholangitis, eczema, erythema multiforme, keratoacanthoma / squamous cell cancer of the skin, gynaecomastia, increase in alkaline phosphatase, INR abnormality, prothrombin level abnormality. Rare: Angioedema, anaphylactic reaction, QT prolongation, drug induced hepatitis, radiation recall dermatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, leucocytoclastic vasculitis. On prescription only.
Date of Revision of the Text: October 2011. Please note! For current prescribing information refer to the package insert and /or contact your local Bayer Pharma Organisation. Bayer Pharma AG, 13342 Berlin, Germany.
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