What is Mekinist and their Usage?

What is a Mekinist?

Mekinist is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.

Mekinist is used alone or with another medicine called dabrafenib (Tafinlar) to treat certain types of cancer in people with a "BRAF" gene mutation.

Mechanist is for use in the treatment of:

Mekinist

• Melanoma (skin cancer) that cannot be treated with surgery or has spread to other parts of the body, or to prevent melanoma from coming back after surgery;

• non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body; either

• Advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer that has spread and for which there are no other treatment options.

Warning

Using Mekinist with dabrafenib may increase your risk of developing a certain type of skin cancer. Ask your doctor about your specific risk. Tell your doctor if you notice new skin symptoms such as redness, warts, sores that will not heal, or a mole that has changed in size or color.

Follow all instructions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all the medicines you use.

Before taking this medicine

To make sure you can safely take Mekinist, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• heart disease, high blood pressure;

• diabetes;

• lung disease;

• liver or kidney disease;

• Disorder of the stomach or intestines;

• Eye problems (especially with your retina); either

• Bleeding problems, or blood clots.

Using Mekinist with dabrafenib may result in an increased risk of developing new skin cancer. Ask your doctor about the risks. Tell your doctor if you notice new skin symptoms such as redness, warts, sores that will not heal, or a mole that has changed in size or color.

Trametinib can harm an unborn baby if the mother or the father is using this medicine.

• If you are a woman, you may need a pregnancy test to make sure you are not pregnant. Use birth control while using Mekinist and for at least 4 months after your last dose.

• It may be difficult for you to become pregnant while using Mekinist. You should still use birth control to prevent pregnancy because the medicine may harm an unborn baby.

• If you are a man, use a condom if your sexual partner is pregnant or is capable of becoming pregnant, even if you have had a vasectomy. Keep using condoms for at least 4 months after your last dose.

• Tell your doctor right away if you are pregnant.

Dosage Information

Usual Adult Dose of Mekinist for Melanoma - Metastatic:

Unresectable or metastatic melanoma:

-Single agent: 2 mg orally once a day

-Combination therapy: 2 mg orally once a day with dabrafenib (see dabrafenib prescribing information for recommended dosing information of dabrafenib)

-Duration of therapy: until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Adjunctive treatment of melanoma:

-Combination therapy: 2 mg orally once a day with dabrafenib (see dabrafenib prescribing information for recommended dosing information of dabrafenib)

-Duration of therapy: Up to one year until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.