Melphalan flufenamide

Generic name: Melphalan Flufenamide
Brand names: Pepaxto
Dosage form: intravenous powder for injection (20 mg)
Drug class: Alkylating agents

Usage of Melphalan flufenamide

Melphalan flufenamide is used together with Dexamethasone (a steroid medicine) to treat adults with multiple myeloma.

Melphalan flufenamide is given after at least four other cancer treatments did not work or have stopped working.

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

Melphalan flufenamide 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.

Melphalan flufenamide may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

a new or worsening cough;

pain or burning when you urinate; or

low blood cell counts--fever, chills, tiredness, mouth sores, skin sores, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed or short of breath.

Common side effects of melphalan flufenamide may include:

low blood cell counts;

nausea, diarrhea;

tiredness; 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 Melphalan flufenamide

You should not be treated with melphalan flufenamide if you are allergic to it.

Tell your doctor if you have any type of infection.

Using melphalan flufenamide may increase your risk of developing other cancers, such as leukemia. Ask your doctor about this risk.

You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this treatment.

Melphalan flufenamide can harm an unborn baby if the mother or the father is using melphalan flufenamide.

If you are a woman, do not use melphalan flufenamide if you are pregnant. 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, use effective birth control if your sex partner is able to get pregnant. Keep using birth control for at least 3 months after your last dose.

Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using melphalan flufenamide.

Pregnancy may be less likely to occur while the mother or the father is using this medicine. Both men and women should still use birth control to prevent pregnancy because the medicine can harm an unborn baby.

Do not breastfeed while using this medicine, and for at least 1 week after your last dose.

Relate drugs

How to use Melphalan flufenamide

Usual Adult Dose for Multiple Myeloma:

40 mg IV over 30-minute on Day 1 of each 28-day cycleComments: -This drug is not recommended for use as a conditioning regimen for transplant outside controlled clinical trials.-Continue treatment until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.-Administer dexamethasone 40 mg orally or IV on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each cycle.-Dexamethasone dose should be reduced to 20 mg in patients 75 years of age or older.-Consider the use of antiemetic medicine such as a serotonin-3 receptor antagonist or other antiemetics prior to and during treatment. Use: -In combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of therapy and whose disease is refractory to at least one proteasome inhibitor, one immunomodulatory agent, and one CD38-directed monoclonal antibody

Warnings

Melphalan flufenamide can increase your risk of bleeding or infection. Call your doctor if you have unusual bruising or bleeding, or new signs of infection (fever, chills, cough, burning when you urinate).

What other drugs will affect Melphalan flufenamide

Other drugs may affect melphalan flufenamide, 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.

Disclaimer

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