Bosutinib – Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Interaction

Mechanism of Action

Bosutinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Although it is able to inhibit several tyrosine kinases such as Src, Lyn, and Hck, which are members of the Src family of kinases, its primary target is the Bcr-Abl kinase. The Bcr-Abl gene is a chimeric oncogene created from the fusion of the breakpoint-cluster (Bcr) gene and the Abelson (Abl) tyrosine gene. This chromosomal abnormality results in the formation of what is commonly known as the Philadelphia chromosome or Philadelphia translocation. The Bcr-Abl gene expresses a particular kinase that promotes the progression of CML. A decrease in the growth and size of the CML tumor has been observed following the administration of bosutinib. Bosutinib did not inhibit the T315I and V299L mutant cells.

Indications

  • Treatment of chronic, accelerated, or blast phase Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy in adult patients.
  • Bosulif is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with newly‑diagnosed chronic phase (CP) Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (Ph+ CML). CP, accelerated phase (AP), and blast phase (BP) Ph+ CML previously treated with one or more tyrosine kinase inhibitor(s) [TKI(s)] and for whom imatinibnilotinib, and dasatinib are not considered appropriate treatment options.
  • Bosutinib is a dual kinase inhibitor of both the BCR-ABL and Src tyrosine kinases and is used in the therapy of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia. Bosutinib therapy is associated with transient elevations in serum aminotransferase and bilirubin levels and rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.
  • Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic, Chronic Phase
  • Blast phase Chronic myelocytic leukemia
  • Refractory, accelerated phase Chronic myelogenous leukemia

Use in Cancer

Bosutinib is approved to treat:

  • Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is Philadelphia chromosome positive. It is used:
    • In adults with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML. This use is approved under FDA’s Accelerated Approval Program. As a condition of approval, a confirmatory trial(s) must show that bosutinib provides a clinical benefit in these patients.
    • In adults with chronic phase, accelerated phase, or blastic phase CML that cannot be treated with or that did not respond to other treatments.

Bosutinib is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.

Contraindication

  • are allergic to bosutinib or any ingredients of the medication
  • have a history of irregular heartbeat, particularly long QT syndrome
  • have reduced liver function
  • have untreated low potassium or low magnesium in your blood
  • anemia
  • decreased blood platelets
  • low levels of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils
  • fluid in the covering of the heart or pericardium
  • chronic heart failure
  • escape of fluid into the lungs
  • fluid in the lungs
  • liver problems
  • fluid retention in the legs, feet, arms or hands
  • high amount of bilirubin in the blood
  • excessive diarrhea
  • abnormal liver function tests
  • pregnancy
  • a patient who is producing milk and breastfeeding
  • reactivation of hepatitis B infection
  • chronic kidney disease stage 3A (moderate)
  • chronic kidney disease stage 3B (moderate)
  • chronic kidney disease stage 4 (severe)
  • Child-Pugh class A liver impairment
  • Child-Pugh class B liver impairment
  • Child-Pugh class C liver impairment

Dosage

Strengths: 100 mg; 500 mg; 400 mg

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Newly-diagnosed:

  • 400 mg orally once daily
  • Duration of therapy: Until disease progression or patient intolerance

Chronic/accelerated/blast phase:

  • 500 mg orally once daily
  • Duration of therapy: Until disease progression or patient intolerance
  • Take this drug with food.
  • If a dose is missed beyond 12 hours, the patient should skip the dose and take the usual prescribed dose on the following day.

Renal Dose Adjustments

RECOMMENDED STARTING DOSE for newly-diagnosed chronic phase Ph+ CML:

  • Normal renal function: 400 mg orally once a day
  • Moderate renal dysfunction (CrCl 30 to 50 mL/min): 300 mg orally once a day
  • Severe renal dysfunction (CrCl less than 30 mL/min): 200 mg orally once a day

RECOMMENDED STARTING DOSE for Chronic, accelerated, or blast phase Ph+ CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy:

  • Normal renal function: 500 mg orally once a day
  • Moderate renal dysfunction (CrCl 30 to 50 mL/min): 400 mg orally once a day
  • Severe renal dysfunction (CrCl less than 30 mL/min): 300 mg orally once a day

Liver Dose Adjustments

RECOMMENDED STARTING DOSE for newly-diagnosed chronic phase Ph+ CML:

  • Normal liver function: 400 mg orally once a day
  • Mild, moderate, or severe liver dysfunction (Child-Pugh A, B, or C): 200 mg orally once a day (There are no clinical data for efficacy at the dose of 200 mg once daily in patients with CML)

RECOMMENDED STARTING DOSE for Chronic, accelerated, or blast phase Ph+ CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy:

  • Normal liver function: 500 mg orally once a day
  • Mild, moderate, or severe liver dysfunction (Child-Pugh A, B, or C): 200 mg orally once a day (There are no clinical data for efficacy at the dose of 200 mg once daily in patients with CML)

Dose Adjustments

DOSE ESCALATION:

  • The dose can be escalated by increments of 100 mg once daily to a maximum of 600 mg once daily in patients who did not achieve or maintain a hematologic, cytogenetic, or molecular response and who did not have Grade 3 or higher adverse reactions at the recommended starting dosage.

NON-HEMATOLOGIC ADVERSE REACTIONS:
Elevated liver transaminases:

  • Liver transaminases greater than 5 times the institutional upper limit of normal (ULN): Withhold therapy until recovery to less than or equal to 2.5 x ULN and resume at 400 mg orally once daily thereafter. If recovery takes longer than 4 weeks, discontinue therapy.
  • Liver transaminases greater than or equal to 3 x ULN concurrently with bilirubin greater than 2 x ULN and alkaline phosphatase less than 2 x ULN (Hy’s law case definition): Discontinue therapy

Diarrhea:

  • For NCI CTCAE Grade 3 to 4 diarrhea (an increase of greater than or equal to 7 stools/day over baseline/pretreatment): Withhold therapy until recovery to Grade 1 or less. Treatment may be resumed at 400 mg orally once a day.

Other Moderate or Severe Non-Hematologic Adverse Reactions:

  • Withhold therapy until resolved, then consider resuming therapy at a dose reduced by 100 mg orally once a day.
  • If appropriate, consider re-escalating the dose to the starting dose once a day.
  • Doses less than 300 mg/day have been used in patients; however, efficacy has not been established

MYELOSUPPRESSION:

  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1000 x 10(6)/L OR platelets less than 50,000 x 10(6)/L: Withhold therapy until ANC is greater than or equal to 1000 x 10(6)/L AND platelets are greater than or equal to 50,000 x 10(6)/L.
  • Resume therapy at the same dose if recovery occurs within 2 weeks. If blood counts remain low for more than 2 weeks, upon recovery, reduce the dose by 100 mg and resume therapy.
  • If cytopenia recurs, reduce the dose by an additional 100 mg upon recovery and resume therapy.
  • Doses less than 300 mg/day have been used in patients; however, efficacy has not been established.

Side Effects

The Most Common

  • headache
  • loss of appetite
  • tiredness or weakness
  • change in the ability to taste food
  • ringing in the ears
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • sudden stomach area pain
  • unexplained bleeding or bruising
  • blood in urine or stool
  • change in the frequency of urination
  • increase or decrease in the amount of urine
  • dizziness
  • fever, sore throat, chills, or other signs of infection
  • shortness of breath and cough
  • chest pain
  • swelling of the face, hands, ankles, feet, or lower legs
  • sudden weight gain
  • yellowing of the skin and eyes
  • dark or tea-colored urine
  • hives
  • rash
  • itching
  • difficulty breathing or swallowing

More Common

  • abnormal heart rhythms (such as fast or slow heart rate, palpitations), fainting, or seizures
  • chest pain
  • dizziness
  • fever
  • generalized pain (back pain, muscle pain)
  • increased blood pressure
  • shortness of breath
  • changed sense of taste
  • cold symptoms (e.g., sore throat, runny nose)
  • decreased appetite
  • diarrhea
  • fatigue
  • flu-like symptoms (sudden lack of energy, fever, cough, sore throat)

Rare

  • signs of anemia (low red blood cells; e.g., dizziness, pale skin, unusual tiredness or weakness, shortness of breath)
  • signs of bleeding (e.g., bloody nose, blood in urine, coughing blood, bleeding gums, cuts that don’t stop bleeding)
  • signs of breathing problems (e.g., shortness of breath, troubled breathing, wheezing, or tightness in chest, fast or irregular breathing)
  • signs of dehydration (e.g., decreased urine, dry skin, dry and sticky mouth, sleepiness, dizziness, headache, thirst, confusion)
  • signs of fluid build-up around the lungs (e.g., chest pain, cough, hiccups, rapid breathing)
  • signs of infection (symptoms may include fever or chills, severe diarrhea, shortness of breath, prolonged dizziness, headache, stiff neck, weight loss, or listlessness)
  • signs of kidney failure (e.g., decreased urine production, swelling, fatigue, abdominal pain)
  • signs of liver problems (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools)
  • signs of pneumonia (e.g., fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough)
  • swelling of the hands, feet, or face
  • symptoms of fluid build-up around the heart (e.g., fever, fatigue, muscle aches, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fast or pounding heartbeat, light-headedness)
  • symptoms of inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart (pericarditis; e.g., chest pain, cough, fast or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, weakness, or fatigue)
  • symptoms of respiratory failure (e.g., dizziness, trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast, shallow breathing, wheezing, bluish coloration to the skin and lips from lack of oxygen)
  • symptoms of too little phosphorus in the blood (e.g., muscle weakness, fatigue, bone pain, fractures, numbness, confusion)
  • symptoms of too much potassium in the body (e.g., muscle fatigue, weakness, difficulty moving, abnormal heart rhythms, nausea)
  • signs of a serious allergic reaction (e.g., abdominal cramps, difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting, or swelling of the face and throat)
  • signs of a severe skin reaction such as blistering, peeling, a rash covering a large area of the body, a rash that spreads quickly, or a rash combined with fever or discomfort
  • signs of bleeding in the stomach (e.g., bloody, black, or tarry stools, spitting up of blood, vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds)

Drug Interactions

Pregnancy and Lactation

US FDA pregnancy category: Not assigned

Pregnancy

This medication should not be taken during pregnancy. Bosutinib may cause severe harm to a developing baby if it is taken by the mother while she is pregnant. Female partners of men taking this medication should not become pregnant. Both women and men must use a reliable method of birth control (e.g., condoms, birth control pill) during treatment and for at least 4 weeks after treatment is finished. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately.

Lactation

No information is available on the clinical use of bosutinib during breastfeeding. Because bosutinib is 96% bound to plasma proteins, the amount in milk is likely to be low. However, its half-life is about 22 hours and it might accumulate in the infant. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend avoiding breastfeeding during bosutinib therapy and the manufacturer recommends withholding breastfeeding until 2 weeks following the last dose.

How should this medicine be used?

Bosutinib comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken with food once a day. Take bosutinib at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take bosutinib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Swallow the tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them. If any of the tablets are broken or crushed, do not touch them with your bare hands.

Your doctor may temporarily or permanently stop your treatment or adjust your dose of bosutinib depending on your response to treatment and any side effects that you experience. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment. Continue to take bosutinib even if you feel well. Do not stop taking bosutinib without talking to your doctor.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking bosutinib,

  • tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to bosutinib or any of the ingredients in bosutinib tablets. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
  • tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: certain antifungals such as ketoconazole and itraconazole (Sporanox); aprepitant (Emend); certain medications used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) such as indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Invirase); medications to reduce stomach acid (proton-pump inhibitors) such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (AcipHex); diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Tiazac); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); nefazodone; rifabutin (Mycobutin); and rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane in Rifamate, in Rifater). Many other medications may also interact with bosutinib, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
  • if you are taking antacids, such as aluminum hydroxide/magnesium hydroxide (Maalox), calcium carbonate (Tums) or calcium carbonate and magnesium (Rolaids), or medications to reduce stomach acids, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), or ranitidine (Zantac), take them 2 hours before or 2 hours after you take bosutinib.
  • tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking, especially St. John’s wort.
  • tell your doctor if you have or have ever had high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney, liver, or heart disease.
  • tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You will need to take a pregnancy test before you start treatment and you should not become pregnant while you are taking bosutinib. You should use an effective form of birth control during treatment with bosutinib and for 2 weeks after your final dose. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods that will work for you. If you become pregnant while taking bosutinib, call your doctor. Bosutinib may harm the fetus.
  • tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. You should not breastfeed while you are taking bosutinib and for 2 weeks after your last dose.
  • you should know that this medication may decrease fertility in men and women. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking bosutinib.

References

  1. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Bosutinib
  2. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Bosutinib-monohydrate
  3. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/bosutinib
  4. https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB06616
  5. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-162353/bosutinib-oral/details/list-contraindications
  6. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a613005.html
  7. https://www.drugs.com/mtm/bosutinib.html
  8. https://www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/bosulif
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  13. 4-[(2,4-dichloro-5-methoxyphenyl)amino]-6-methoxy-7-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propoxy]quinoline-3-carbonitrile
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  20. NCBI