Retevmo: Uses, Dosage and side effects

Retevmo (Selpercatinib) is a cancer medicine that shows its action by inhibiting kinase for use in the treatment of:

• locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

• advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) with a RET mutation

• locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors with a RET gene fusion

Retevmo contains the active substance Selpercatinib, and the medicine can only be used under a valid prescription and treatment should be started and supervised by a doctor experienced in the use of cancer treatments.

Dosage-

• Retevmo is available as capsules containing 40 or 80 mg Selpercatinib.

• The patient is selected on the basis of the presence of rearranged during transfection gene fusion (NSCLC or thyroid) or specific RET gene mutation (MTC)

• The dose of Retevmo is based on body weight, and the recommended RETEVMO dosage based on body weight is:

1. Less than 50 kg: 120 mg

2. 50 kg or greater: 160 mg

• Take Retevmo orally twice a day, approximately every 12 hours, until the disease

• progression or there is any unacceptable toxicity.

• One may take Retevmo capsules with or without food unless coadministered with a proton pump inhibitorCapsules should not be crushed and chewed; they have to be administered orally as a whole.

• If there are at least 6 hours left for the scheduled next dose, then only take the missed dose.

Side Effects

• The common Retevmo side-effects are loss of appetite, headache, and dizziness.

• Changes in the heart’s electrical activity and prolonged QT interval with increased blood pressure is observed.

• Abdominal pain or (sense of discomfort), diarrhea, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, rash, fever, tiredness, edema, and bleeding are some of the common but serious adverse drug reactions.

• A blood test showing reduced lymphocytes increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), decreased sodium, and decreased calcium.

• Some of the laboratory tests also show changes in liver enzymes and increased creatinine, which indicates problems associated with the kidneys.