All you need to know about Venetoclax

Well known as Venclexta, Venetoclax is a prescription medicine that is used for the treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Leukemia in adults. It is an antineoplastic BCL-2 inhibitor that is prescribed alone or in combination with Azacitidine, Decitabine, or low-dose Cytarabine in patients who are 75 years or above and cannot opt for chemotherapy due to certain medical conditions. 

How is it taken? Usage and Dosage

It comes in tablet form that is taken orally every day with a meal. Therapy continues in cycles. Typically, it is prescribed in a small dosage for patients who have a chance of developing unbearable toxicity. The first cycle usually lasts for 5 weeks. If the body is responding well to treatment, the dosage is increased gradually. The standard dose is 400mg, which means that the patient has to take four Venetoclax 100 mg tablets each day. However, that is usually after the patient has completed the 5-weeks dose ramp-up schedule. 

Precautionary Measures to take while taking Venclexta

1. Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. 
2. Seville oranges and marmalades are also to be avoided. 
3. You can also refrain from eating starfruit because it can increase the amount of drug in your blood and develop toxicities.
4. Inform your doctor if you have a history of kidney or liver problems. 
5. If the patient has problems with body salts and electrolytes such as potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, they are required to inform about the same to the doctor before starting this therapy. 
6. If your uric acid level is high in the blood or gout, mention that as well. 
7. You are not supposed to take immunization or vaccine shots without informing the doctor. 
8. Patients who are pregnant must refrain from taking this because Venetoclax 100mg can harm the fetus. 
9. Don’t breastfeed while you are undergoing this therapy as the ingredients have a chance of passing through breast milk and harming the baby. Wait for at least 30 days after treatment is over. 
10. You are required to drink at least 56 ounces of water before 2 days of starting therapy and also during the course of treatment. It is essential to keep the body hydrated every time the dosage is increased. 

Venetoclax Side Effects

The severe side effects are:

Tumor Lysis Syndrome

Since Venetoclax causes the fast breakdown of cancer cells, this condition is quite common in patients. The most common outcome is kidney failure that could be fatal in some cases. Therefore, at the beginning of treatment, your doctor will prescribe certain drugs that would prevent this condition. If you have any symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, seizures, or irregular heartbeat- treat it as a medical emergency. 

Neutropenia

In this condition, the number of low white blood cells decreases in the body. This also increases the chances of infections like pneumonia and sepsis. 

• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Unusual bleeding and bruising
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• In male patients, this drug may cause fertility problems.

Conclusion

Some of the side effects of Venetoclax 100mg tablets are quite common and can be managed easily. The doctor will conduct medical tests regularly to keep an eye on the disease progression as well as the toxicities. So far, the disease remission rate has been recorded to be 67% in patients who have completed this drug therapy. The chances of disease progressing and getting fatal have been reduced by 81%. Venetoclax price in India is relatively high; therefore, patients are advised to keep all medical insurance papers handy. Choose a pharmacy that provides a discount on Venetoclax price upon purchasing in bulk. 

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