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Read below for some general information about taking WELIREG. Please talk to your doctor about your individual prescription needs.
Three 40-mg pills (120 mg) taken by mouth at the same time each day. You may take WELIREG with or without food.
Do not stop taking WELIREG or change your dose without talking to your health care provider.
Take WELIREG exactly as the doctor prescribes.
Take the dose recommended by the doctor once a day at the same time each day. The doctor may change the recommended dose as needed.
Do not chew or break up the pills into smaller pieces—be sure to swallow each pill whole.
When adding WELIREG to a daily routine, consider setting a reminder on your phone or watch to stay on track and remember to take your medicine at the same time each day.
WELIREG may take time to show results, so it’s important to stick with your treatment plan. Talk to your doctor about what you may expect when taking WELIREG and before making any changes to how you take your medicine.
It’s important to record how you’re feeling each day and to keep your health care team informed if there are any changes to your health.
Your health care provider may choose to adjust your WELIREG dose during treatment. Do not change your dose or stop taking your medication on your own.
If you have side effects that are not well controlled or become serious, your health care team may decide to pause treatment for some time or stop your WELIREG treatment altogether.
Remember, do not change your dose or stop taking your medication on your own. It’s important to continue taking WELIREG as prescribed throughout your treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor.
WELIREG is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease who need treatment for a type of kidney cancer called renal cell carcinoma (RCC), tumors in the brain and spinal cord called central nervous system (CNS) hemangioblastomas, or a type of pancreatic cancer called pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET), that do not need surgery right away.
WELIREG is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with kidney cancer that has spread (advanced RCC) following treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 and VEGF cancer medicines.
It is not known if WELIREG is safe and effective in children.
PD-1 = programmed death receptor-1; PD-L1 = programmed death-ligand 1; VEGF = vascular endothelial growth factor.
WELIREG may cause serious side effects. WELIREG may cause harm to your unborn baby.
WELIREG may cause serious side effects, including:
Low red blood cell counts (anemia). Low red blood cell counts are common with WELIREG and can be severe. You may need a blood transfusion if your red blood cell counts drop too low. Your health care provider will do blood tests to check your red blood cell counts before you start and during treatment with WELIREG. Tell your health care provider if you get any symptoms of low red blood cell counts, including tiredness, feeling cold, shortness of breath, chest pain, or fast heartbeat.
Low oxygen levels in your body. WELIREG can cause low oxygen levels in your body that can be severe and may require you to stop treatment with WELIREG, receive oxygen therapy, or be hospitalized. Your health care provider will monitor your oxygen levels before you start and during treatment with WELIREG. Tell your health care provider or get medical help right away if you get symptoms of low oxygen in your body, including shortness of breath or increased heart rate.
Harm to your unborn baby. Treatment with WELIREG during pregnancy can cause harm to your unborn baby.
Females who are able to become pregnant:
Males with female partners who are able to become pregnant:
Before taking WELIREG, tell your health care provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. WELIREG and certain other medicines can affect each other and cause serious side effects.
The most common side effects of WELIREG in adults with VHL disease include:
The most common side effects of WELIREG in adults with advanced RCC include:
WELIREG may cause fertility problems in males and females, which may affect your ability to have children. Talk to your health care provider if this is a concern for you.
These are not all of the possible side effects of WELIREG. Call your health care provider for medical advice about side effects.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please read the accompanying Medication Guide for WELIREG, including an important warning about harm to an unborn baby, and discuss it with your doctor. The physician Prescribing Information also is available.