Generic
Ripretinib
(rih-PREH-tih-nib)
Brand
Qinlock™
(KIN-lok)
Additional resources
Ripretinib (Qinlock™) is used for the treatment of adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who have received prior treatment with 3 or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib.
Our Medication Sheet
This sheet is available to download as an Adobe PDF.
Get Ripretinib Medication SheetGet Ripretinib Medication Sheet (Spanish)
Page 1 RIPRETINIB ORAL CHEMOTHERAPY EDUCATION Name of your medication Generic name — ripretinib (rih PREH tih nib) Brand name — Qinlock™ (KIN lok) Approved uses Ripretinib is used for the treatment of adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who have received prior treatment with 3 or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib. Dose and schedule Taking ripretinib as instructed is important to allow your treatment to be as effective as possible, so here are some key points to remember. Your dose may vary, but the usual dose of ripretinib is 150 milligrams (150 mg) to be taken by mouth at a scheduled time once a day. Ripretinib can be taken with or without food, but should be taken at the same time each day. Ripretinib should be taken whole and not crushed, cut, or dissolved. If you are unable to swallow ripretinib, talk to your care provider or pharmacist for possible options. If you miss a dose of ripretinib, follow these guidelines: • Only take the missed dose if it has been less than 8 hours since you were supposed to take it. Then, take the next dose at the regularly scheduled time. • Do not take two doses at one time. • Be sure to write down if you miss a dose, and let your care provider know about any missed doses. Drug and food interactions Ripretinib has many drug interactions. Please inform your care providers of all prescription medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, and herbal products. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice may interact with ripretinib; avoid eating or drinking these during treatment with ripretinib. Talk with your care provider or pharmacist before taking new medications or supplements, or receiving any vaccines. Storage and handling Handle ripretinib with care. Just like when chemotherapy is given into the vein, this drug can be toxic, and exposure of the drug to others should be limited. Store ripretinib at room temperature (68°F–77°F) in a dry location away from light. Ripretinib comes with a desiccant packet in the bottle to protect your medicine from moisture. Do not remove the desiccant packet from the bottle. Keep ripretinib out of reach of children and pets. Leave ripretinib in the provided packaging until it is ready to be taken. RIPRETINIB ORAL CHEMOTHERAPY EDUCATION Page 2 Whenever possible, you should give ripretinib to yourself and follow the steps below. If a family member, friend, or caregiver needs to give the ripretinib to you, they also need to follow these steps. 1. Wash hands with soap and water. 2. Put on gloves to avoid touching the medication. (Gloves are not necessary if you give the drug to yourself.) 3. Gently transfer the ripretinib from its package to a small medicine or other disposable cup. 4. Administer the medicine immediately by mouth with water. 5. Remove gloves and do not use them for anything else. 6. Throw gloves and medicine cup in household trash. 7. Wash hands with soap and water. A daily pill box or pill reminder is not recommended to be used with ripretinib. If you have any unused ripretinib, do not throw it in the trash and do not flush it down the sink or toilet. Talk to your care provider or pharmacist about proper disposal of ripretinib. If you are traveling, put your ripretinib’s packaging in a separate sealed plastic bag. Ask your pharmacist if any additional travel precautions are needed. Side Effects of Ripretinib Below are common side effects that have been known to happen in about one third or more of patients taking ripretinib; these are listed on the left side of this table. You MAY NOT experience these side effects. Options to help manage any side effects that do occur are included on the right side of this table. These should be discussed with your care provider. If you experience any side effect you cannot manage or that is not listed here, contact your care provider. Possible Side Effect Management Hair loss (alopecia) Your hair will grow back after treatment is over. Some people choose to wear scarves, caps, or wigs. A short haircut prior to treatment may help with the stress of hair loss. Fatigue You may be more tired than usual or have less energy. • Stay as active as possible, but know it is okay to rest as needed. • Try to do some activity every day. • Plan your activities, and do them at a time of day when you feel a bit more energetic. • Avoid operating heavy machinery if you feel too tired. Continued on the next page RIPRETINIB ORAL CHEMOTHERAPY EDUCATION Page 3 Possible Side Effect Management Nausea or vomiting • Eat and drink slowly. • Drink 8–10 glasses of water or fluid each day unless your care provider has instructed you to limit your fluid intake. • Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day rather than a few large meals. • Eat bland foods; avoid spicy, fried, and greasy foods. • Avoid vigorous exercise immediately after eating. • Don’t lie down immediately after eating. • Avoid strong odors. Let your provider know if you experience nausea or vomiting. Your provider may prescribe medication to help with the nausea or vomiting. Abdominal pain Abdominal pain/discomfort may occur. Report any serious pain or symptoms to your care provider immediately. Increased activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and/ or international normalized ratio (INR), measures of how long it takes for your blood to clot It could take longer for your blood to clot, meaning that it could be easier for you to bruise or bleed. Report any unusual bruising or bleeding to your provider. Constipation Monitor how many bowel movements you have each day. • Drink 8–10 glasses of water or fluid each day unless your care provider has instructed you to limit your fluid intake. • Stay active and exercise, if possible. • Eat foods high in fiber like raw fruits and vegetables. Contact your care provider if you have not had a bowel movement in three or more days. Your care provider may recommend over the counter medications to help with your constipation. A daily stool softener such as docusate (Colace®) and/or a laxative such as senna (Senakot®) may be helpful. If these do not help within 48 hours, tell your provider. Continued on the next page RIPRETINIB ORAL CHEMOTHERAPY EDUCATION Page 4 Possible Side Effect Management Muscle or joint pain or weakness • Keep a diary of your pain or weakness, including a description of when and where the pain is occurring, what it feels like, and how long it lasts. • Stay as active as possible, but know that it is okay to rest as needed. • Tell your care provider if pain interferes with your activity. If the pain or weakness bothers you, ask your provider what you may use to help with this discomfort. Take only pain medication that has been prescribed or recommended by your care provider. Increase in your serum lipase, an enzyme made by your pancreas Let your provider know if you start to experience nausea and/or vomiting with abdominal pain, as these could be signs of changes in the function of your pancreas Pain or discomfort on hands and/or feet Hand and foot syndrome (HFS) is a skin reaction that appears on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It can appear as a rash, peeling skin, or a “pins and needles” sensation. Let your care provider know right away if you experience this side effect. To prevent HFS, you can do the following: • Keep hands and feet moisturized. • Avoid hot showers or baths that may dry out the skin. • Avoid tight shoes or socks. Continued on the next page Serious side effects Ripretinib can cause new primary skin cancers. Notify your care team if you notice any changes in your skin or new skin lesions. Ripretinib can cause increased blood pressure. Notify your care team if you develop symptoms such as headache, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, or fluid retention/weight gain/swelling. Ripretinib can cause a decrease in heart function or cardiomyopathy. Notify your care team if you are having shortness of breath or chest pain. Ripretinib can cause wound healing problems. Notify your care team if you have a wound that doesn’t heal properly. Also tell your care team if you have a planned surgery or dental procedure, as ripretinib should be stopped prior to your surgery. If you experience ANY uncontrolled side effect, call your physician or healthcare center immediately: (INSTITUTIONAL CONTACT INFO) RIPRETINIB ORAL CHEMOTHERAPY EDUCATION Page 5 Handling body fluids and waste Since ripretinib remains in your body for several days after it is taken, some of the drug may be present in urine, stool, sweat, or vomit. Once you have started to take ripretinib, it is important to adhere to the following instructions every day for as long as your treatment lasts. This is to keep yourself, loved ones, and the environment as safe as possible. Pregnant women should avoid touching anything that may be soiled with body fluids from the patient. Toilet and septic systems • You may use the same toilet, septic tank, and/or sewer that you usually use. If you have a low flow toilet, close the lid and flush twice to ensure that all waste has been discarded. • If the toilet or toilet seat becomes soiled with urine, stool, or vomit, clean the surfaces before other people use the toilet. • Wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet. If you need a bedpan, be sure your caregiver knows to wear gloves to assist with cleanup and to wash the bedpan with soap and water every day. If you do not have good control of bladder or bowels, use a disposable pad with a plastic back, a diaper, or a sheet to absorb body waste. Wash any skin that has been exposed to body waste or ripretinib with soap and water. Linens or clothing that are soiled with body fluids or body waste should be washed separately from other linens and clothing. If you do not have a washer, place the soiled linens in a plastic bag until they can be washed. Wash hands with soap and water after touching linens or clothing that may be soiled with body fluids. Pregnancy, sexual activity, and contraception Women should not become pregnant and men should not get a partner pregnant while taking ripretinib. Men and women of childbearing age and potential should use effective contraception during therapy and for a minimum of 1 week after the last dose of ripretinib. Effective contraception could include one or more of the following: oral contraceptive, barrier methods, etc. Do not breastfeed while taking ripretinib and for 1 week after the last dose of ripretinib. Please inform your care provider if you become pregnant. It is safe to hug and kiss. Special precautions may be needed for sexual activity while on oral chemotherapy, and you are encouraged to ask your care provider. Obtaining medication Talk with your care provider about the process for obtaining your ripretinib. (PHARMACY OR SPECIALTY PHARMACY CONTACT INFO) RIPRETINIB ORAL CHEMOTHERAPY EDUCATION Page 6 Additional resources Product website: https://www.qinlock.com/ Product prescribing information: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda docs/ label/2020/213973s000lbl.pdf Product resources: https://www.decipheraaccesspoint.com Updated – May 22, 2020 Additional instructions Important notice: The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), National Community Oncology Dispensing Association, Inc. (NCODA), and Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have collaborated in gathering information for and developing this patient education guide. This guide represents a brief summary of the medication derived from information provided by the drug manufacturer and other resources. This guide does not cover all existing information related to the possible uses, directions, doses, precautions, warnings, interactions, adverse effects, or risks associated with this medication and should not substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. Provision of this guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of this medication by ACCC, HOPA, NCODA, or ONS, who assume no liability for and cannot ensure the accuracy of the information presented. The collaborators are not making any representations with respect to the medications whatsoever, and any and all decisions, with respect to such medications, are at the sole risk of the individual consuming the medication. All decisions related to taking this medication should be made with the guidance and under the direction of a qualified healthcare professional. Permission: Oral Chemotherapy Education (OCE) sheets are provided as a free educational resource for patients with cancer in need of concise, easy to understand information about oral cancer drugs. Healthcare providers are permitted to copy and distribute the sheets to patients as well as direct patients to the OCE website for information. However, commercial reproduction or reuse, as well as rebranding or reposting of any type, are strictly prohibited without permission of the copyright holder. Please email permission requests and licensing inquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Copyright © 2020 by Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association. All rights reserved.