FDA approves first treatment for certain types of poor-prognosis acute myeloid leukemia - Drug Information Update

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vyxeos for the treatment of adults with two types of acute myeloid leukemia (AML): newly diagnosed therapy-related AML (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC). Vyxeos is a fixed-combination of chemotherapy drugs daunorubicin and cytarabine.

Common side effects of Vyxeos include bleeding events (hemorrhage), fever with low white blood cell count (febrile neutropenia), rash, swelling of the tissues (edema), nausea, inflammation of the mucous membranes (mucositis), diarrhea, constipation, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, abdominal pain, shortness of breath (dyspnea), headache, cough, decreased appetite, abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia), lung infection (pneumonia), blood infection (bacteremia), chills, sleep disorders and vomiting.

Patients who have a history of serious hypersensitivity to daunorubicin, cytarabine or any component of the formulation should not use Vyxeos. Patients taking Vyxeos should be monitored for hypersensitivity reactions and decreased cardiac function. Vyxeos has been associated with serious or fatal bleeding events. Daunorubicin has been associated with severe damage (necrosis) where the drug leaks into the skin and subcutaneous tissue from the intravenous infusion (extravasation). Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take Vyxeos, because it may cause harm to a developing fetus or a newborn baby.

The prescribing information for Vyxeos includes a boxed warning not to interchange Vyxeos with other daunorubicin- and/or cytarabine-containing products. 

For more information, please visit: Vyxeos.