Vismodegib
Erivedge is a capsule, taken by mouth, once daily. It can be taken with or without food. Take Erivedge exactly as prescribed. Swallow Erivedge whole. Do not crush, dissolve or open capsules. Do not change your dose or stop Erivedge unless your health care provider tells you to. If you miss a dose, do not make up; resume dosing with the next scheduled dose. Do not take more than 1 dose of Erivedge at one time. Call your health care provider right away if you take too much. The amount of Erivedge that you will receive depends on many factors, your general health or other health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated. Current recommendation is for one tablet twice daily, higher doses do not give a better response and may cause increased toxicity.
Basal cell cancer is associated with mutations in the “Hedgehog” pathway. Hedgehog controls cell growth in embryos, while generally it is not active in adult tissue cells. Hedgehog mutations associated with basal cell cancer can activate the pathway resulting in uncontrolled growth of skin basal cells. Erivedge works by interfering with the proteins involved in activating the Hedgehog signal.
Side effects of Erivedge include: muscle spasms, hair loss, abnormal taste, weight loss, nausea, and amenorrhea (no menses).
Erivedge can cause your baby to die before it is born (be stillborn) or cause your baby to have severe birth defects. If you can become pregnant you should: talk with your healthcare provider about the risks of Erivedge to your unborn child. In order to avoid pregnancy, you should use birth control during treatment and for 24 months after your final dose of Erivedge. Talk with your healthcare provider about what birth control method is right for you during this time.
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