IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

NEXAVAR may cause birth defects or death of an unborn baby. Avoid becoming pregnant while taking NEXAVAR and for at least 2 weeks after stopping your treatment. Men and women should use birth control during and at least 2 weeks after NEXAVAR therapy. Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Do not breastfeed while taking NEXAVAR as this medication may be passed through breast milk. Before starting NEXAVAR, tell your doctor if you have allergies; heart problems or chest pain; bleeding or bruising problems. continue reading below »

Learning More About Nexavar

Nexavar is an oral anticancer medication available only by prescription and it comes in tablet form that is normally taken twice a day.

Nexavar may be the first treatment you receive or it may be included later in the course of treatment. When you speak with your health care team, remember to ask how Nexavar might fit into your course of treatment.

Nexavar has been studied in patients with liver cancer that cannot be treated with surgery and advanced kidney cancer, respectively. In those large clinical trials, treatment with Nexavar has been shown to have benefits like slowing the growth and spread of certain types of cancers.

However, Nexavar may cause serious side effects, so it is important to tell your health care team as soon as you notice any unusual symptoms.

To learn more about treatment with Nexavar, including how the drug works and what to expect while on therapy, be sure to click on the links.

Indication

NEXAVAR is an anticancer medicine used to treat a certain type of kidney cancer called advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), or a certain type of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), when it cannot be treated with surgery.

Important Safety Information

Do not take Nexavar if you have a specific type of lung cancer (squamous cell) and receive carboplatin and paclitaxel. Before starting NEXAVAR, tell your doctor if you have: allergies; heart problems (including a problem called congenital long QT syndrome) or chest pain; bleeding or bruising problems; high blood pressure; or kidney or liver problems. NEXAVAR may interact with certain other medicines so tell your doctor about all medicines you take including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. It is especially important to tell your doctor if you take warfarin (Coumadin).

NEXAVAR may cause serious side effects, including:

– decreased blood flow to the heart and heart attack. Get emergency help if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, feel lightheaded or faint, have nausea or vomiting, or you are sweating a lot.
– bleeding problems. Tell your doctor if you have any bleeding or easy bruising while taking NEXAVAR.
– high blood pressure. Your blood pressure should be checked every week during the first 6 weeks of starting therapy and then regularly, thereafter. If your blood pressure is high, it may need to be treated.
– a skin problem called hand-foot skin reaction. This causes redness, pain, swelling or blisters on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Your doctor may change your dose or stop treatment for a while.
– perforation of the bowel. Tell your doctor right away if you get high fever, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
– wound healing problems. If you have a surgical or dental procedure, tell your doctor you are taking NEXAVAR. Your treatment may be stopped until after your surgery or until your wound heals.
– changes in the electrical activity of your heart called QT prolongation. QT prolongation can cause irregular heartbeats that can be life-threatening. Tell your doctor right away if you feel faint, lightheaded, dizzy, or feel your heart beating irregularly or fast while taking Nexavar.

The most common side effects with NEXAVAR may include: rash, redness, itching or peeling skin; hair thinning or loss; diarrhea; nausea/vomiting; mouth sores; weakness; loss of appetite; numbness, tingling or pain in hands and feet; abdominal pain; tiredness; or weight loss. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1.800.FDA.1088. For important risk and use information, please see the patient prescribing information.