Bosulif

Bosulif is a prescription medication used to treat a certain type of leukemia in adults. Bosulif belongs to a group of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which prevent cancer cells from growing and multiplying. 

This medication comes in tablet form and should be taken as directed by your doctor, with food.

Common side effects of Bosulif include stomach problems including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Bosulif is a prescription medicine used to treat adults who have a certain type of leukemia called Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (Ph+ CML) who no longer benefit from or did not tolerate other treatment.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses.  Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc.

• Pfizer Labs

Bosulif may cause serious side effects, including:

• Stomach problems. Bosulif may cause stomach (abdomen) pain, nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. Tell your doctor about any stomach problems.
• Low blood cell counts. Bosulif may cause low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), low red blood cell counts (anemia) and low white blood cell counts (neutropenia). Your doctor should do blood tests to check your blood cell counts regularly during your treatment with Bosulif. Call your doctor right away if you have unexpected bleeding or bruising, blood in your urine or stools, fever, or any signs of an infection.
• Liver problems. Bosulif may cause liver problems. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver function regularly during your treatment with Bosulif. Call your doctor right away if your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) or you have dark "tea color" urine.
• Your body may hold too much fluid (fluid retention). Fluid may build up in the lining of your lungs, the sac around your heart, or your stomach cavity. Call your doctor right away if you get any of the following symptoms during your treatment with Bosulif:
  • shortness of breath and cough
  • chest pain
  • swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet
  • swelling all over your body
  • weight gain
• The other common side effects of Bosulif include:
  • rash
  • fever
  • tiredness or weakness

Tell your doctor right away if you get respiratory tract infections, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, back pain, joint pain, or itching while taking Bosulif. These may be symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all of the possible side effects of Bosulif. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about the medicines you take, including prescription medicines, non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Bosulif and certain other medicines can affect each other.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• medicines that increase the amount of Bosulif in your blood stream, such as:
  • amprenavir (Agenerase)
  • aprepitant (Emend)
  • atazanavir (Reyataz)
  • boceprevir (Victrelis)
  • ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Proquin XR)
  • clarithromycin (Biaxin, Prevpac)
  • conivaptan (Vaprisol)
  • crizotinib (Xalkori)
  • darunavir (Prezista)
  • digoxin (Lanoxin)
  • diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR, Tiazac)
  • erythromycin (Ery-tab)
  • fluconazole (Diflucan)
  • fosamprenavir (Lexiva)
  • imatinib (Gleevec)
  • indinavir (Crixivan)
  • itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox)
  • ketoconazole (Nizoral)
  • nefazodone (Serzone)
  • nelfinavir (Viracept)
  • posaconazole (Noxafil)
  • ritonavir (Kaletra, Norvir)
  • saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase)
  • telaprevir (Incivek)
  • telithromycin (Ketek)
  • verapamil (Calan, Covera-HS, Tarka, Verelan PM)
  • voriconazole (Vfend)
• medicines that decrease the amount of Bosulif in your blood stream, such as:
  • bosentan (Tracleer)
  • carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol)
  • efavirenz (Sustiva)
  • etravirine (Intelence)
  • modafinil (Provigil)
  • nafcillin (Unipen, Nallpen)
  • phenobarbital (Solfoton)
  • phenytoin (Dilantin)
  • rifabutin (Mycobutin)
  • rifampin (Rifamate, Rifater, Rifadin)
  • St. John's wort

Bosulif is best absorbed from your stomach into your blood stream in the presence of stomach acid. You should avoid taking Bosulif with medicines that reduce stomach acid, such as:

• esomeprazole (Nexium)
• dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
• lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• omeprazole (Prilosec, Vimovo, Zegerid)
• pantoprazole sodium (Protonix)
• rabeprazole (AcipHex)

Medicines that neutralize stomach acid, such as: cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), ranitidine (Zantac), aluminum hydroxide/magnesium hydroxide (Maalox), calcium carbonate (Tums), or calcium carbonate and magnesia (Rolaids) may be taken up to 2 hours before or 2 hours after Bosulif.

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Do not take Bosulif if you are allergic to Bosulif or any of the ingredients in Bosulif .

You should avoid grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and supplements that contain grapefruit extract while taking Bosulif. Grapefruit products increase the amount of Bosulif in your body.

Before you take Bosulif, tell your doctor if you:

• have liver problems
• have heart problems
• have any other medical conditions
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Bosulif can harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant while taking Bosulif. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking Bosulif.
• are a woman who may become pregnant. Use effective contraception (birth control) during and for at least 30 days after completing treatment with Bosulif. Talk to your doctor about forms of birth control.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Bosulif passes into your breast milk or if it can harm your baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will take Bosulif or breastfeed. You should not do both.

Tell your doctor about the medicines you take, including prescription medicines, non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category D. Bosulif can harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant while taking Bosulif. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking Bosulif.

Use effective contraception (birth control) during and for at least 30 days after completing treatment with Bosulif. Talk to your doctor about forms of birth control.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Bosulif passes into your breast milk or if it can harm your baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will take Bosulif or breastfeed. You should not do both.

• Take Bosulif exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
• Do not change your dose or stop taking Bosulif without first talking with your doctor.
• Take Bosulif with food.
• Swallow Bosulif tablets whole. Do not crush or cut Bosulif tablets. Do not touch or handle crushed or broken Bosulif tablets.
• You should avoid grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and supplements that contain grapefruit extract while taking Bosulif. Grapefruit products increase the amount of Bosulif in your body.
• Your doctor may change your dose of Bosulif or tell you to stop taking Bosulif depending on how you respond to treatment.
• If you miss a dose of Bosulif, take it as soon as you remember. If it has been more than 12 hours since your last dose, take your next dose at your regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age
• your gender

The recommended dose of Bosulif is 500 mg by mouth once daily with food.

If you take too much Bosulif call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Bosulif is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Bosulif between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right way to throw away outdated or unused Bosulif.
• Keep Bosulif and all medicines out of the reach of children.