Should ZYTIGA Be Taken in Combination with Prednisone?

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The following content from the ZYTIGA PATIENT INFORMATION may be helpful to address your question:

Should ZYTIGA be taken in combination with prednisone?  

What is ZYTIGA? 

• ZYTIGA is a prescription medicine that is used along with prednisone. ZYTIGA is used to treat men with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.¹ 

Why is ZYTIGA used along with prednisone? 

• ZYTIGA blocks an enzyme called CYP17, which helps stop cells in the body from making androgens, a type of male hormone.² 
• Because ZYTIGA also lowers the level of some other hormones in the body, a low dose of prednisone needs to be taken during treatment as well to avoid certain side effects.² 
• ZYTIGA may cause serious side effects including:
  • High blood pressure (hypertension), low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia), fluid retention (edema), and irregular heartbeats can happen during treatment with ZYTIGA. This can be life threatening.¹ 
  • To decrease the chance of this happening, you must take prednisone with ZYTIGA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. Your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure, do blood tests to check your potassium levels, and check for any signs and symptoms of fluid retention every month during treatment with ZYTIGA.¹

How should you take ZYTIGA? 

• Depending on the type of prostate cancer, ZYTIGA is used in combination with prednisone twice daily or once daily¹:
  • For metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), ZYTIGA is used in combination with prednisone 5 mg administered orally twice daily.
  • For metastatic high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer (CSPC), ZYTIGA is used in combination with prednisone 5 mg administered orally once daily.
• Take ZYTIGA and prednisone exactly as your healthcare provider tells you.¹ 
• Take your prescribed dose of ZYTIGA 1 time a day.¹ 
• Your healthcare provider may change your dose if needed.¹ 
• Do not change or stop taking your prescribed dose of ZYTIGA or prednisone without talking with your healthcare provider first.¹ 
• Take ZYTIGA tablets as a single dose one time a day on an empty stomach. Do not eat food 2 hours before and 1 hour after taking ZYTIGA.¹ 
• Do not take ZYTIGA with food. Taking ZYTIGA with food may cause more of the medicine to be absorbed by the body than is needed and this may cause side effects.¹ 
• Swallow ZYTIGA tablets whole. Do not crush or chew tablets.¹ 
• Take ZYTIGA tablets with water.¹ 
• If you miss a dose of ZYTIGA or prednisone, take your prescribed dose the following day. If you miss more than 1 dose, tell your healthcare provider right away.¹ 
• Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check for side effects.¹ 

additional information

This information is provided ONLY in response to your request and is not intended as medical advice, to promote the use of our product, or suggest using it in any manner other than as described in the PRESCRIBING INFORMATION. All decisions regarding your medical treatment should be made with your healthcare professional(s). Please contact your healthcare professional(s) to discuss the information in this response.

Please refer to the attached full PRESCRIBING INFORMATION and the PATIENT INFORMATION for ZYTIGA.¹