Phoaca Acalabrutinib

Acalabrutinib, sold under the brand name Phoaca,Calquence, is a medication used to treat various types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL). It may be used both in relapsed as well as in treatment-naive settings.

Common side effects include headaches, feeling tired, low red blood cells, low platelets, and low white blood cells. It is a second generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Acalabrutinib blocks an enzyme called Bruton's tyrosine kinase, which helps B cells to survive and grow.By blocking this enzyme, acalabrutinib is expected to slow down the build-up of cancerous B cells in CLL, thereby delaying progression of the cancer.
Acalabrutinib was approved for medical use in the United States in 2017, and in the European Union in November 2020.

Medical uses
In the European Union, acalabrutinib as monotherapy or in combination with obinutuzumab is indicated for the treatment of adults with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).It is also indicated for the treatment of adults with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who have received at least one prior therapy.

In the United States, acalabrutinib is indicated for the treatment of adults with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior therapy, and for the treatment of adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Why is this medication prescribed?
Acalabrutinib is used to treat people with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL; a fast-growing cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system) who have already been treated with at least one other chemotherapy medication. It is also used alone or with obinutuzumab (Gazyva) to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL: a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells). Acalabrutinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps stop the spread of cancer cells.

How should this medicine be used?
Acalabrutinib comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken with or without food every 12 hours (twice a day) for as long as your doctor recommends that you receive treatment. Take acalabrutinib at around the same times 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 acalabrutinib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Swallow the capsules whole with a glass of water; do not open, chew, or break them.

Your doctor may temporarily or permanently stop your treatment or decrease your dose of acalabrutinib depending on the side effects that you experience. Be sure to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment. Do not stop taking acalabrutinib without talking to your doctor.

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

Other uses for this medicine
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Acalabrutinib may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
headache
nausea
vomiting
constipation
diarrhea
abdominal pain
rash
light bruising or small red or purple spots on skin
joint or muscle pain
extreme tiredness.