Evrysdi

Generic name: risdiplam
Dosage form: oral solution
Drug class: Miscellaneous uncategorized agents

Medically reviewed by Judith Stewart, BPharm. Last updated on May 31, 2022.

What is Evrysdi?

Evrysdi is a prescription medicine used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in adults and children.

Before taking Evrysdi

Before taking Evrysdi, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have liver problems.
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, ask your healthcare provider for advice before taking this medicine. Evrysdi may harm your unborn baby.
are a woman who can become pregnant:
- Before you start your treatment with Evrysdi, your healthcare provider may test you for pregnancy. Because Evrysdi may harm your unborn baby, you and your healthcare provider will decide if taking Evrysdi is right for you during this time.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control methods that may be right for you. Use birth control while on treatment and for at least 1 month after stopping.
are an adult male planning to have children: Evrysdi may affect a man’s ability to have children (fertility). If this is of concern to you, make sure to ask a healthcare provider for advice.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Evrysdi passes into breast milk and may harm your baby. If you plan to breastfeed, discuss with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while on treatment.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I take Evrysdi?

See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with your prescription for information on how to take or give Evrysdi oral solution.

You should receive Evrysdi from the pharmacy as a liquid that can be given by mouth or through a feeding tube.
The liquid solution is prepared by your pharmacist. If the medicine in the bottle is a powder, do not use it. Contact your pharmacist for a replacement.
Avoid getting Evrysdi on your skin or in your eyes. If Evrysdi gets on your skin, wash the area with soap and water. If Evrysdi gets in your eyes, rinse your eyes with water.

Taking Evrysdi

Your healthcare provider will tell you how long you or your child needs to take Evrysdi. Do not stop treatment unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
For infants and children, your healthcare provider will determine the daily dose of Evrysdi needed based on your child’s age and weight. For adults, take 5 mg of Evrysdi daily.
- Take Evrysdi exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Do not change the dose without talking to your healthcare provider.
Take Evrysdi 1 time daily after a meal (or after breastfeeding for a child) at approximately the same time each day. Drink water afterwards to make sure Evrysdi has been completely swallowed.
Do not mix Evrysdi with formula or milk.
If you are unable to swallow and have a nasogastric or gastrostomy tube, Evrysdi can be given through the tube.
If you miss a dose of Evrysdi:
- If you remember the missed dose within 6 hours of when you normally take Evrysdi, then take or give the dose. Continue taking Evrysdi at your usual time the next day.
- If you remember the missed dose more than 6 hours after you normally take Evrysdi, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at your usual time the next day.
If you do not fully swallow the dose, or you vomit after taking a dose, do not take another dose to make up for that dose. Wait until the next day to take the next dose at your usual time.

Reusable Oral Syringes

Your pharmacist will provide you with the reusable oral syringes that are needed for taking your medicine and explain how to use them. Wash the syringes per instructions after use. Do not throw them away.
Use the reusable oral syringes provided by your pharmacist (you should receive 2 identical oral syringes) to measure your or your child’s dose of Evrysdi, as they are designed to protect the medicine from light. Contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist if your oral syringes are lost or damaged.
Once transferred from the bottle to the oral syringe, take Evrysdi right away. Do not store the solution in the syringe. If Evrysdi is not taken within 5 minutes of when it is drawn up, Evrysdi should be thrown away from the reusable oral syringe, and a new dose should be prepared.

Evrysdi side effects

The most common side effects include:

For later-onset SMA:
- fever
- diarrhea
- rash
For infantile-onset SMA:
- fever
- runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and cough (upper respiratory infection)
- constipation
- diarrhea
- lung infection
- vomiting
- rash

These are not all of the possible side effects. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

How should I store Evrysdi?

Store Evrysdi in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). Do not freeze.
Keep Evrysdi in an upright position in the original amber bottle to protect from light.
Throw away (discard) any unused portion of Evrysdi 64 days after it is mixed by the pharmacist (constitution). Please see the Discard After date written on the bottle label. (See the Instructions for Use that comes with Evrysdi).

Keep Evrysdi and all medicines out of the reach of children.

General information about the safe and effective use of Evrysdi

Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use this medicine for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give it to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information that is written for health professionals.

What are the ingredients in Evrysdi?

Active ingredient: risdiplam
Inactive ingredients: ascorbic acid, disodium edetate dihydrate, isomalt, mannitol, polyethylene glycol 6000, sodium benzoate, strawberry flavor, sucralose, and tartaric acid.

Evrysdi (risdiplam) and Spinraza (nusinersen) work in different ways to increase the level of functional SMN (survival of motor neuron) protein in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). A key difference between the two drugs is that Evrysdi is taken orally, whereas Spinraza needs to be given via intrathecal injection. Continue reading

How does it work for SMA?

Evrysdi (risdiplam) works by targeting the SMN2 gene (survival motor neuron gene 2), causing it to make more functional SMN protein. This increases SMN protein levels throughout the central nervous system and body, helping to improve motor nerve and muscle function in children and adults with SMA. Continue reading

How effective is it?

Several major trials have reported that Evrysdi significantly improves survival motor neuron (SMN) protein levels in newborns, children, and adults with SMA, allowing an increase in muscle strength and the achievement of milestones, such as being able to sit independently for 5 or more seconds at a time. Continue reading

Does it cure spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)?

Evrysdi does not cure spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), it just replaces a protein that is low or missing in children or adults with the condition, improving muscle strength and allowing some relief from some of the symptoms of SMA. Evrysdi must be taken for a person’s lifetime; if Evrysdi is stopped the newborn, child, or adult’s SMA symptoms will progressively worsen at a faster rate. Continue reading

How is it administered?

Evrysdi (risdiplam) is an oral solution that is administered via an oral syringe. It can be given orally or via a gastrostomy or nasogastric tube. Continue reading

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