Cladribine

Generic name: Cladribine (oral)
Brand names: Mavenclad
Dosage form: oral tablet (10 mg)
Drug class: Antimetabolites

Usage of Cladribine

Cladribine is used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults. cladribine will not cure MS, it will only decrease the frequency of relapse symptoms.

Cladribine is usually given after other treatments have failed.

Cladribine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Cladribine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Cladribine may cause a serious brain infection that can lead to disability or death. Call your doctor right away if you have problems with speech, thought, vision, or muscle movement. These symptoms may start gradually and get worse quickly.

Also call your doctor at once if you have:

heart problems--swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath;

low blood cell counts--fever, swollen glands, stomach pain, cough, runny nose, joint pain, mouth sores, skin sores or rash, easy bruising, unusual bleeding;

liver problems--nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, loss of appetite, yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine;

signs of shingles--flu-like symptoms, tingly or painful blistering rash on one side of your body; or

signs of tuberculosis: fever, cough, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, and feeling very tired.

Common side effects of cladribine may include:

headache;

low white blood cell counts; or

cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Cladribine

You should not take cladribine if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

cancer;

an active infection such as tuberculosis or hepatitis B or C;

HIV or AIDS; or

if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

an active or chronic infection;

heart problems;

weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicine);

liver or kidney disease;

cancer; or

if you receive blood transfusions.

Tell your doctor if you have recently received a vaccine (within 4 to 6 weeks before you take cladribine).

Taking cladribine may increase your risk of developing certain cancers. Ask your doctor about this risk.

Do not take cladribine if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

Cladribinecan harm an unborn baby if the mother or the father is using cladribine.

If you are a woman taking cladribine, you may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this medicine. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 6 months after your last dose.

If you are a man taking cladribine, use effective birth control if your sex partner is able to get pregnant. Keep using birth control for at least 6 months after your last dose.

Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is taking cladribine.

Cladribine can make hormonal birth control less effective, including birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings. To prevent pregnancy while taking cladribine, use a barrier form of birth control: condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, or contraceptive sponge. Keep using the second form of birth control for at least 4 weeks after your cladribine treatment course ends.

Do not breastfeed while taking cladribine, and for at least 10 days after your last dose.

Relate drugs

How to use Cladribine

Usual Adult Dose for Hairy Cell Leukemia:

0.09 mg/kg/day by continuous IV infusion for 7 daysAlternate dosing recommendation:-SuBCutaneous bolus injection: 0.14 mg/kg/day subcutaneously for 5 consecutive days -IV infusion: 0.1 mg/kg/day IV for 7 consecutive days -Under certain hematological conditions (e.g., recovery of severe myelosuppression) a small number of patients may require a second cycle and occasionally a third cycle to achieve a stable and prolonged response.Comments:-Physicians should consider delaying or discontinuing therapy if neurotoxicity or renal toxicity occurs.-Consult the individual manufacturer product information for dosing recommendations.Use: For the primary or secondary treatment of patients with Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL)

Warnings

Do not take cladribine if you are pregnant. Both men and women should use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while taking cladribine, and for 6 months after the last dose.

If you use birth control pills or other hormonal forms (implants, skin patches, vaginal rings), also use a barrier form of birth control (condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, contraceptive sponge) to prevent pregnancy while taking cladribine and for at least 4 weeks after your treatment course ends.

Taking cladribine may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

What other drugs will affect Cladribine

If you take any other medicines by mouth, take your cladribine dose 3 hours before or 3 hours after you take the other medicine.

Other drugs may affect cladribine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Popular FAQ

Over 96 weeks, 81% of patients who took Mavenclad were relapse-free compared to 63% of those who took a placebo. Mavenclad also decreased 3-month progression of disability due to MS when compared to a placebo. Continue reading

No, Mavenclad is not a chemotherapy (cancer) drug. It is an oral purine antimetabolite approved for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive disease, in adults. Mavenclad tablets are taken by mouth and are given as two yearly treatment courses. Continue reading

Weight gain has not been reported as a side effect with Mavenclad (generic name: cladribine), an oral medicine used for multiple sclerosis (MS). The most common side effects reported with Mavenclad include upper respiratory tract infections, headache and a decrease in white blood cells. Continue reading

Hair loss (alopecia) is an infrequent side effect with Mavenclad. In clinical studies, hair loss occurred in 3% (3 out of every 100) of patients treated with Mavanclad (generic name: cladribine) compared to 1% of patients receiving a placebo (inactive) treatment. Continue reading

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