Generic name: ibrutinib
Brand name: Imbruvica
Dosage form: oral tablet, oral capsule
Drug class:BTK inhibitors
What is ibrutinib?
Ibrutinib is a type of cancer medication called a kinase inhibitor.
Ibrutinib helps to slow down how quickly certain blood cancers progresses by working against cancerous B cells, a type of white blood cell. It does this by blocking Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) signaling. BTK is a protein found on B cells that instructs B cells to remain alive and multiple.
Ibrutinib comes as both tablets and capsules. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013 and was the first effective and selective BTK inhibitor to be approved.
What is ibrutinib used for?
Ibrutinib is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:
- Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior treatment
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with 17p deletion
- Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM)
- Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) who require a medicine by mouth or injection (systemic therapy) and have received a certain type of prior treatment
- Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) after failure of 1 or more lines of systemic therapy
It is not known if ibrutinib is safe and effective in children.
What should I tell my doctor before taking ibrutinib?
Before taking ibrutinib, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have had recent surgery or plan to have surgery. Your healthcare provider may stop ibrutinib for any planned medical, surgical, or dental procedure.
- have bleeding problems
- have or had heart rhythm prob...
