Sprycel (Dasatinib) for Leukemia

Overview
Sprycel is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase who have tested positive for the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+). Sprycel is also used to treat Ph+ CML in the accelerated or blast phase in cases where prior therapy has failed. Sprycel is approved to treat Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adults when other treatments have failed or cannot be tolerated. Sprycel is indicated to treat children ages one or older diagnosed with either Ph+ CML in the chronic phase or Ph+ ALL in combination with chemotherapy. Sprycel may be referred to by its drug name, dasatinib.

Sprycel is used as targeted therapy for leukemia. Sprycel is a member of a class of drugs called kinase inhibitors. Sprycel is believed to work by inhibiting the growth of leukemia cells.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Sprycel is taken orally once daily.

Sprycel comes in tablet form.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Sprycel lists common side effects including headache, fatigue, fever, cough, rash, abnormal bleeding, nosebleeds, trouble breathing, changes in heart rhythm, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, mouth sores, loss of appetite, edema (swelling), peripheral neuropathy (numbness or tingling in extremities),increased risk for infections, and an altered state of consciousness.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Sprycel include severe edema, heart problems, severe skin reactions, fetal harm in pregnant women, and increased risk for developing pulmonary arterial hypertension — a dangerous condition involving high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. Sprycel may cause tumor lysis syndrome — a potentially fatal metabolic condition caused when many cancer cells die at the same time. In children, Sprycel can cause delayed growth, problems with bone growth, and gynecomastia (breast growth in males).

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Sprycel — Bristol-Myers Squibb
https://www.sprycel.com

Ph+ ALL Therapy — Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
https://www.lls.org/leukemia/acute-lymphoblasti...