Vizimpro

Vizimpro is a prescription medication used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body. Vizimpro belongs to a group of drugs called kinase inhibitors. These help stop the growth of cancer by binding to specific enzymes in the cancer cells and stopping the enzyme’s activity.

This medication comes in a tablet form and is taken usually once a day, with or without food.

Common side effects of Vizimpro include diarrhea, rash, and decreased appetite.

Vizimpro is a prescription medicine used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic):

• As your first treatment if your tumor has certain types of abnormal epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene(s). 

Your healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure that Vizimpro is right for you. It is not known if Vizimpro is safe and effective in children.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Pfizer Laboratories

Serious side effects have been reported with Vizimpro. See the “Vizimpro Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Vizimpro include:

• rash
• diarrhea
• mouth pain and sores
• nail inflammation
• common cold
• dry skin
• decreased appetite
• decreased weight
• dry, red, itchy eyes
• hair loss
• itching

This is not a complete list of Vizimpro side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Proton pump inhibitors (stomach acid reducers) like esomeprazole (Nexium), omeprazole (Prilosec), and pantoprazole (Protonix)  
• medications that use the enzyme CYP2D6 such as aripiprazole (Abilify), amphetamine salts (Adderall), duloxetine (Cymbalta), tamsulosin (Flomax), and others

This is not a complete list of Vizimpro drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Vizimpro including:

• Lung or breathing problems. Vizimpro may cause severe inflammation of the lung that may lead to death. Symptoms may be similar to those symptoms from lung cancer. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new or worsening lung symptoms, including trouble breathing or shortness of breath, cough, or fever.
• Diarrhea. Diarrhea is common during treatment with Vizimpro, and can be severe and lead to death. Diarrhea can cause you to lose too much body fluid (dehydration). Your healthcare provider may tell you to start drinking more fluids or start taking your anti-diarrheal medicines. Tell your healthcare provider right away, if you have any loose stools or have stools more often than is normal for you.
• Skin reactions. Skin reactions are common with Vizimpro and can be severe. These skin reactions may include: dry skin, redness, rash, acne, itching, and peeling or blistering of your skin. Use moisturizers every day when taking Vizimpro. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing that covers your skin, while exposed to sunlight, while you are taking Vizimpro. Your healthcare provider may prescribe other medicines to help skin reactions. Tell your healthcare provider right away about any worsening skin reactions.

Do not take Vizimpro if you are allergic to Vizimpro or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Vizimpro, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Vizimpro, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Vizimpro or to any of its ingredients
• have frequent diarrhea
• have a history of lung or breathing problems other than lung cancer
• are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. VIZIMPRO can harm your unborn baby. See "Pregnancy" section for more information.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Females who are able to become pregnant:

• Your healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with Vizimpro.
• You should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment and for at least 17 days after your last dose of Vizimpro. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control methods that may be right for you during this time.
• Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during your treatment with Vizimpro.

In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Talk to your doctor to discuss your risks of using Vizimpro.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Vizimpro passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 17 days after your last dose of Vizimpro. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during this time. 

• Take Vizimpro tablets exactly as your healthcare provider tells you.
• Take your dose at approximately the same time each day.
• Your healthcare provider may change your dose, temporarily stop, or permanently stop treatment with Vizimpro if you have side effects.
• Take Vizimpro once daily, with or without food.
• If you take an antacid or H2 blocker medicine during treatment with Vizimpro, take your dose of Vizimpro at least 6 hours before or 10 hours after taking the antacid or H2 blocker medicine. Do not change your dose or stop taking Vizimpro unless your healthcare provider tells you.
• If you vomit or miss a dose of Vizimpro, do not take another dose or make up for the missed dose. Take your next dose at your regular time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. The dose your doctor recommends may be based how you respond to this medication and the side effects you experience.

The recommended dose of Vizimpro for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations is 45 mg daily. The dose may be lowered to 30 mg or 15 mg daily depending on side effects experienced.

If you take too much Vizimpro, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Vizimpro at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F).
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.

This page was written by Brittany Santos, PharmD Candidate 2020 | UT Austin College of Pharmacy