Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

  1. Cotellic

Descriptions


Cobimetinib is used in combination with vemurafenib to treat melanoma (skin cancer) that has spread or that cannot be removed by surgery. It is only used if the melanoma cells have the BRAF V600E or V600K mutations. Your doctor will use a special test to look for these mutations. Cobimetinib is also used to treat blood cancers called histocytic neoplasms. Cobimetinib belongs to the group of medicines called antineoplastics (cancer medicines).

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

  • Tablet

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of cobimetinib in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of cobimetinib in the elderly.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Levoketoconazole

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Adagrasib
  • Aprepitant
  • Asciminib
  • Atazanavir
  • Avacopan
  • Belzutifan
  • Berotralstat
  • Boceprevir
  • Bosentan
  • Carbamazepine
  • Ceritinib
  • Clarithromycin
  • Cobicistat
  • Conivaptan
  • Crizotinib
  • Dabrafenib
  • Daridorexant
  • Diltiazem
  • Dronedarone
  • Duvelisib
  • Efavirenz
  • Enasidenib
  • Enzalutamide
  • Erythromycin
  • Fedratinib
  • Fexinidazole
  • Fluconazole
  • Fosaprepitant
  • Fosnetupitant
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Idelalisib
  • Imatinib
  • Indinavir
  • Itraconazole
  • Ivosidenib
  • Ketoconazole
  • Lanreotide
  • Larotrectinib
  • Lefamulin
  • Lenacapavir
  • Letermovir
  • Lopinavir
  • Lorlatinib
  • Mavacamten
  • Mitapivat
  • Mitotane
  • Mobocertinib
  • Modafinil
  • Nefazodone
  • Nelfinavir
  • Netupitant
  • Nirogacestat
  • Octreotide
  • Olutasidenib
  • Omaveloxolone
  • Pacritinib
  • Palbociclib
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin
  • Pirtobrutinib
  • Posaconazole
  • Primidone
  • Repotrectinib
  • Ribociclib
  • Rifampin
  • Ritlecitinib
  • Ritonavir
  • Saquinavir
  • Selpercatinib
  • Sotorasib
  • St John's Wort
  • Taurursodiol
  • Telaprevir
  • Telithromycin
  • Tocilizumab
  • Trofinetide
  • Tucatinib
  • Verapamil
  • Vonoprazan
  • Voriconazole
  • Voxelotor

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

  • Grapefruit Juice

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Bleeding problems or
  • Eye or vision problems or
  • Heart disease (eg, cardiomyopathy) or
  • Liver problems or
  • Muscle problems or
  • Other skin problems—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

Proper Use

Medicines used to treat cancer are very strong and can have many side effects. Before using this medicine, make sure you understand all the risks and benefits. It is important for you to work closely with your doctor during your treatment.

Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.

This medicine usually comes with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

You may take this medicine with or without food.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

  • For oral dosage form (tablets):
    • For melanoma and histiocytic neoplasms:
      • Adults—60 milligrams (mg) (three 20 mg tablets) once a day for 21 days, followed by a 7-day rest period for a 28-day cycle.
      • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

If you vomit after taking your medicine, do not take an extra dose. Take the next dose at the regular time.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it. Blood tests will be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant during treatment and for 2 weeks after the last dose. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Some men and women who use this medicine have become infertile (unable to have children). Talk to your doctor before using this medicine if you plan to have children.

This medicine may increase your risk of having cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC) or other skin cancers. Check with your doctor right away if you develop any skin changes, including a new wart, change in size or color of a mole, or a skin sore or reddish bump that does not heal. Your doctor may want your skin be checked for new skin lesions before treatment, during treatment, and for up to 6 months after the last dose.

This medicine may cause an increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight (photosensitivity). Check with your doctor right away if you have itching, redness or other discoloration of the skin, severe sunburn, or skin rash. Use sunscreen or sunblock lotions with a sun protection factor (SPF) on a regular basis when you are outdoors. Wear protective clothing and hats.

This medicine may cause hemorrhage (severe bleeding) in the stomach and bowel areas or in the brain. Call your doctor right away if you have any unusual or unexplained bleeding.

This medicine may cause heart problems. Check with your doctor right away if you have chest discomfort or pain, dizziness or faintness, fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat, swelling of the feet or lower legs, trouble with breathing, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Call your doctor right away if you have a severe skin rash (especially if it covers a large area of your body), acne, or redness, blisters, swelling, peeling, or tenderness of the hands or feet. These may be symptoms of a serious skin reaction.

Check with your doctor right away if blurred vision, loss of vision, or any change in vision occurs during treatment. These could be symptoms of a serious eye problem. Your doctor may want you to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, a loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle problem) may occur while receiving this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have dark-colored urine, fever, muscle cramps, spasms, or pain, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

  1. Bleeding gums
  2. blue lips and fingernails
  3. blurred vision or any other change in vision
  4. chest discomfort or pain
  5. chills
  6. clay colored stools
  7. coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
  8. coughing up blood
  9. dark urine
  10. decreased appetite
  11. difficulty in breathing or swallowing
  12. dizziness
  13. faintness
  14. fast irregular or pounding heartbeat
  15. fever
  16. headache
  17. increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding
  18. increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight
  19. increased sweating
  20. itching or skin rash
  21. loss of appetite
  22. muscle cramps or spasms
  23. muscle pain or stiffness
  24. nausea and vomiting
  25. nervousness
  26. nosebleeds
  27. pale skin
  28. paralysis
  29. pounding in the ears
  30. prolonged bleeding from cuts
  31. red or black, tarry stools
  32. red or dark brown urine
  33. redness or other discoloration of the skin
  34. seeing flashes or sparks of light
  35. seeing floating spots before the eyes, or a veil or curtain appearing across part of vision
  36. severe sunburn
  37. slow or fast heartbeat
  38. stomach pain or tenderness
  39. swelling of the feet or lower legs
  40. unusual tiredness or weakness
  41. yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

  1. Acid or sour stomach
  2. acne or pimples
  3. belching
  4. bladder pain
  5. bloody or cloudy urine
  6. diarrhea
  7. difficult, burning, or painful urination
  8. dry mouth
  9. frequent urge to urinate
  10. heartburn
  11. indigestion
  12. lower back or side pain
  13. nausea
  14. stomach discomfort or upset
  15. swelling or inflammation of the mouth
  16. vomiting

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024

Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/cobimetinib-oral-route/before-using/drg-20165195