Trifluridine Tipiracil: A New Oral Therapy Approved for Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Fast Facts: 

• Colon and rectal cancers combined are the 3'rd most commonly occurred cancers in men and women.
• Around 1 in 20 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer or rectal cancer in his/her lifetime.

What is Trifluridine Tipiracil?

Trifluridine Tipiracil tablets are a prescription medication for refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. It is supplied as an oral tablet, which means it is administered by mouth. This medicinal product is a prescription chemotherapy tablet that is made up of two parts. This therapy offers you a chance to continue treating your cancer. It may help you live longer and resist or inhibit the progression of your cancer for a period of time.

The medication trifluridine tipiracil was evaluated in a clinical trial of 800 populations. 

• Half of the populations treated with trifluridine tipiracil therapy were still alive at 7.1 months and half of the populations who received placebo were still alive at 5.3 months 
• Worsening of the condition or death occurred in 88% of patients treated with trifluridine tipiracil and 94% of patients who received placebo

The trifluridine tipiracil tablet comes in 2 strengths: 15mg and 20mg. A health specialist may prescribe both strengths for your prescribed dose.

Who is Trifluridine Tipiracil For:

This medicinal product is recommended for treating those with colon or rectal cancer that has spread to other portions of the body and who have earlier treated with or cannot take certain chemotherapy agents. Those previous agents may include

• Anti-VEGF biological therapy, or VEGF inhibitors: Such as bevacizumab or Aflibercept. 
• Anti-EGFR therapy, or EGFR inhibitors (if you have the KRAS wild type gene): Such as cetuximab; or panitumumab. 
• Fluoropyrimidine: Such as 5-FU, also known qs 5-fluorouracil.
• Oxaliplatin-based treatment: Such as 5-FU, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin; capecitabine and oxaliplatin; or oxaliplatin. 
• Irinotecan-based treatment: Such as 5-FU, leucovorin, and irinotecan; capecitabine and irinotecan; or irinotecan. 

In case you aren’t sure what treatments you’ve had in the past, ask your health specialist. 

Mechanism of Action of Trifluridine Tipiracil

Tablets of trifluridine tipiracil work in a different way than other therapies for colon or rectal cancer. That is why it may still help individuals for whom other therapies have stopped working. This medicinal product is the first FDA-approved combination tablet for the treatment of patients with refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. It is an oral chemotherapy that is two medications in one. With the two medicines working together, trifluridine and tipiracil may help inhibit cancer cell growth. 

How can Trifluridine Tipiracil Help Me

Trifluridine Tipiracil has been proven to allow some individuals with refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer to live longer. It has also been proven to slow or stop the growth of disease for a period of time. Like all medicines approved by the FDA, trifluridine tipiracil 20 mg/8.19mg was evaluated in clinical trials. The clinical trial in which this medicine was studied included 800 populations.

Some individuals in the trial lived longer than others. It is hard to predict exactly how much this agent may help extend a particular individual’s life, because everyone is different.

Most Important Information About Trifluridine Tipiracil

A respective healthcare specialist should assess blood cell counts prior to treatment with trifluridine and tipiracil pills, at day 15 of each treatment cycle, and as required.

• Reduced blood counts are common with therapy and can sometimes be severe and life-threatening. Therapy can be responsible for causing a reduction in WBCs, RBCs, and platelets. Reduced WBCs can make you more likely to get severe infections that might lead to death. A health specialist may decrease or stop the dose if you have low WBC or low platelet counts. 
• Inform your health specialist promptly in case you develop any signs/symptoms of infection such as fever, chills, or body aches. 

Most common side effects due to Trifluridine Tipiracil: Almost all patients treated with trifluridine tipiracil 15mg/6.14mg experience side effects at some time. Some commonly reported side effects you may experience include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Nausea
• Decreased appetite

Inform your health specialist in case you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that is severe or persistent. Note that, these are not all of the possible side effects of this medicinal product.

Serious side effects due to Trifluridine Tipiracil: This drug may also be responsible for causing serious side effects, including:

Low blood counts: Low blood counts are a bit common with Trifluridine Tipiracil treatment and can sometimes be severe and life-threatening. The medication can cause a reduction in white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), and platelets. Low white blood cells (WBCs) can make you more prone to catch serious infections that could lead to death. A health specialist should do blood tests prior to Trifluridine Tipiracil therapy, at day 15 during therapy with this medicine, and as needed to assess the blood cell counts. A health specialist may reduce your dose of Trifluridine Tipiracil or stop it in case you have low white blood cell (WBCs) or platelet counts.

Note: Let your health specialist know right away in case you get any of the following signs/symptoms of infection throughout your treatment with Trifluridine Tipiracil: chills, body aches, or fever.

How to Take Trifluridine Tipiracil?

Proposed dosage of trifluridine and tipiracil pills are taken twice a day, after you eat breakfast and dinner (promptly after or up to 1 hour after). The type of food typically does not matter. Your trifluridine and tipiracil dose is determined on behalf of your body surface area (BSA). This depends on the height and weight. The higher your body surface area, the higher your dose will be. In case you have any query regarding BSA or dose, ask your health specialist. 

Supplied in 2 strengths: 15-mg and 20-mg tablets, take your dosage after morning and evening meals for 5 days a week, and then rest for a couple of days. This goes on for two weeks. Then you will not take this medicine for two weeks (14 days). That is one cycle. 

This is repeated for as long as your health specialist says. Always follow your health specialist’s directions carefully.

Importance of taking Trifluridine Tipiracil after morning and evening meals: The trifluridine tipiracil may cause a reduction WBCs. Taking this medicine after morning and evening meals may help scale down this effect. This is crucial because a low WBC count can make you a bit more prone to infection. The type of food you consider does not affect trifluridine and tipiracil. Just be sure to take your trifluridine tipiracil doses promptly after or up to 1 hour following meals.

Certain Things to Keep in Mind About Taking Trifluridine Tipiracil:

• In order to procure this medicine, always get in touch with a pharmaceutical wholesaler or supplier or distributor that holds certain authentic certification such as WHO-GDP and ISO. 
• The trifluridine tipiracil price is reasonably very less due to the availability of generic and innovator brands. Generic versions tend to cost less than their innovator alternatives. 
• Store the tableta of trifluridine tipiracil at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Don’t store this medicinal product with other medicines. Keep it in its own container.
• In case you store your pills outside of the original container, any unused tablets should be disposed of after 30 days.
• Wash your hands once you handle pills. Even though it is a pill, it is still chemotherapy.
• Note that there is a packet inside the bottle that helps absorb moisture. Never swallow this material.

NOTE: Deets mentioned in this article is for informational or educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with health specialists.