Description
Avacopan is used together with steroids to treat severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis).
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
- Capsule
Before Using
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of avacopan in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of avacopan in the elderly.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Abemaciclib
- Abiraterone Acetate
- Abiraterone Acetate, Micronized
- Acalabrutinib
- Alfentanil
- Alfuzosin
- Alprazolam
- Amiodarone
- Amlodipine
- Amprenavir
- Apalutamide
- Apixaban
- Aprepitant
- Aripiprazole
- Artemether
- Asciminib
- Astemizole
- Atazanavir
- Atorvastatin
- Avanafil
- Avapritinib
- Avatrombopag
- Axitinib
- Bedaquiline
- Belumosudil
- Benzhydrocodone
- Bictegravir
- Boceprevir
- Bosentan
- Bosutinib
- Brexpiprazole
- Brigatinib
- Bromocriptine
- Budesonide
- Buprenorphine
- Buspirone
- Cabozantinib
- Cannabidiol
- Capivasertib
- Capmatinib
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Infection, severe and active or
- Liver disease (eg, cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C), untreated or uncontrolled, severe—Use is not recommended in patients with this condition.
- Weak immune system—May increase risk of serous infections.
Proper Use
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.
This medicine should come with a Medication Guide. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Swallow the capsule whole. Do not crush, chew, or open it. Take this medicine with food.
Dosing
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For oral dosage form (capsules):
- For severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis:
- Adults—30 milligrams (mg) (3 capsules) 2 times a day.
- Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis:
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem (eg, hepatitis B).
This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including angioedema, which can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Check with your doctor right away if you have large, hive-like swelling on face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs.
This medicine may increase your risk of developing infections during or after treatment with this medicine. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections while you are receiving this medicine. Wash your hands often. Tell your doctor if you have lupus or if you have any kind of infection before you start receiving this medicine. Also tell your doctor if you have ever had an infection that would not go away or an infection that kept coming back.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
- Bladder pain
- bloody or cloudy urine
- chest pain or tightness
- cough
- dark urine
- difficult, burning, or painful urination
- fever or chills
- frequent urge to urinate
- loss of appetite
- lower back or side pain
- nausea or vomiting
- sneezing
- sore throat
- stomach pain, severe
- trouble breathing
- unusual tiredness or weakness
- yellow eyes or skin
Less common
- Large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
- Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- headache
- skin rash
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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