What is Zytiga?

Overview

Note: Women of childbearing potential should not use or handle abiraterone tablets without protection (eg, gloves).

Abiraterone is used in combination with prednisone to treat patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (prostate cancer that is resistant to medical or surgical treatments that lower testosterone and has already spread to other parts of the body) and metastatic high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

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Proper Use

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.

This medicine comes with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have questions.

Swallow the tablet whole with water. Do not break, crush, or chew it.

It is best to take this medicine on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.

Your doctor may also give you other medicines (eg, gonadotropin-releasing hormone medicine) during treatment with abiraterone or you should have had surgical removal of the testes before using this medicine.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

  • For oral dosage form (tablets):
    • For castration-resistant prostate cancer:
      • Adults—1000 milligrams (mg) (two 500 mg tablets or four 250 mg tablets) once a day, taken together with 5 mg oral prednisone 2 times a day.
      • Children—Use is not recommended.
    • For high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer:
      • Adults—1000 milligrams (mg) (two 500 mg tablets or four 250 mg tablets) once a day, taken together with 5 mg oral prednisone once a day.
      • Children—Use is not recommended.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

If you missed a dose of this medicine, take your normal dose the following day. If more than one daily dose is missed, call your doctor.

Use & Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Abiraterone is not indicated for use in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of abiraterone in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more sensitive to the effects of this medicine than younger adults.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Dasabuvir
  • Eliglustat
  • Selexipag

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Liver disease, moderate—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.
  • Liver disease, severe—Should not be used in patients with this condition.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests will be needed to check for any unwanted effects that may be caused by this medicine.

Women and children should not use this medicine. Pregnant women or women who may become pregnant should not handle or touch the tablets without protection (eg, gloves). This medicine may also cause birth defects if the father is using it when his sexual partner becomes pregnant. You must use a condom and another effective method of birth control during treatment with this medicine and for 3 weeks after the last dose. If a pregnancy occurs while you are using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

You will also need to have your blood pressure measured before starting this medicine and while you are using it. If you notice any changes to your recommended blood pressure, call your doctor right away. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.

Do not interrupt or stop using this medicine together with prednisone without first asking your doctor. This may increase your risk of having adrenal gland problems. Talk to your doctor if you have more than one of these symptoms while you are using this medicine: darkening of the skin, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, loss of appetite, mental depression, nausea, skin rash, unusual tiredness or weakness, or vomiting.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Abiraterone and prednisone/prednisolone may increase your risk for bone fractures and death when used together with radium 223 dichloride (radiation treatment). Tell your doctor if you are having any other treatment for your prostate cancer.

This medicine may cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), especially if you have diabetes and take certain medicines for diabetes. Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, blurred vision, chills, cold sweats, coma, confusion, cool, pale skin, depression, dizziness, fast heartbeat, headache, increased hunger, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, seizures, shakiness, slurred speech, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Commonly Used Brand Name(s)
Yonsa, Zytiga
Therapeutic Classifications
Antiandrogen

Zytiga Images

White Oval 1125 And Teva - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval Aa250 - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval A250 And Apo - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval 135 And G - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval 121 - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval Abr And 250 - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval 135 And G - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
Purple Oval A And 250 - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet
White Oval 121 - Abiraterone Acetate 250mg TabletAbiraterone Acetate 250mg Tablet

About Zytiga

ABIRATERONE treats prostate cancer. It works by decreasing levels of the hormone testosterone in the body. This prevents prostate cancer cells from spreading or growing.
The lowest GoodRx price for the most common version of generic Zytiga is around $126.27, 98% off the average retail price of $9,708.27.
Other CYP17 inhibitors
Yonsa

Other Conditions

Prostate Cancer