FDA approves Lonsurf
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lonsurf (trifluridine and tipiracil), a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor and thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor combination indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer who are no longer responding to other therapies.
Important information
Your healthcare provider should do blood tests before you start treatment, at day 15 during treatment, and as needed to check your blood cell counts.
Lonsurf may cause serious side effects, including:
Low blood counts. Low blood counts are a common side effect and can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.
Lonsurf can cause a decrease in your white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Low white blood cells can make you more likely to get serious infections that could lead to death. Your healthcare provider may:
lower your dose or stop treatment if you have low white blood cell or low platelet counts.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs and symptoms of infection during treatment with Lonsurf:
fever
chills
body aches
Lonsurf is a prescription medicine used to treat people with colon or rectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and who have been previously treated or cannot receive certain chemotherapy medicines.
It is not known if Lonsurf is safe and effective in children.
Before you start treatment, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
have kidney problems
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Lonsurf can harm your unborn baby.
For females who can become pregnant:
You should use effective birth control during treatment with Lonsurf.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant.
For males:
You should use a condom during sex with female partners who are able to become pregnant during your treatment and for three months after your final dose.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if your partner becomes pregnant while you are taking Lonsurf.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Lonsurf passes into breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for one day after your last dose.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Lonsurf side effects
The most common side effects include:
tiredness
vomiting
nausea
abdominal pain
decreased appetite
fever
diarrhoea
Tell your healthcare provider if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that is severe or that does not go away.
These are not all of the possible side effects.
What are the ingredients in Lonsurf?
Active ingredients: trifluridine and tipiracil hydrochloride
Inactive ingredients: lactose monohydrate, pregelatinized starch, stearic acid, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, ferric oxide (20 mg tablet only), and magnesium stearate.
Source: drugs.com
