Iclusig (Ponatinib) for Leukemia

Overview
Iclusig is a prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in any phase that is positive for the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+), in cases where no other drugs in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor class are indicated. Iclusig is also indicated to treat adult cases of both CML and Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that test positive for the T315I mutation. Iclusig is also referred to by its drug name, Ponatinib.
Iclusig is used as targeted therapy for leukemia. Iclusig is a member of a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Iclusig is believed to work by inhibiting replication and triggering cell death in leukemia cells.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Iclusig is taken orally once a day.

Iclusig comes in tablet form.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Iclusig lists common side effects including headache, fatigue, fever, rash, dry skin, joint pain, muscle pain, pain in extremities, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.

Blockages in the arteries, sometimes leading to fatal heart attack or stroke, are common and dangerous side effects of Iclusig.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Iclusig include heart failure, liver failure, life-threatening blood clots, fetal harm in pregnant women, eye damage, severe hemorrhage (bleeding), slowed wound healing, perforations in the gastrointestinal system, pancreatitis, neuropathy (problems with the nervous system), and hypertension (high blood pressure). Iclusig may cause reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome – swelling in the brain that can cause headache, confusion, seizures, and loss of vision. Iclusig may also cause tumor lysis syndrome – a potentially fatal metabolic condition caused when many cancer cells die at the same time.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Iclusig – Takeda
https://iclusig.com/#

CML: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) Therapy – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
https://www.lls.org/leukemia/chronic-myeloid-le...