Pacritinib Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jan 11, 2024.

Applies to pacritinib: oral capsule.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood tests will be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Do not use this medicine together with clarithromycin (Biaxin®) and rifampin (Rifadin®).

Check with your doctor right away if you have any unusual bleeding or bruising, black, tarry stools, blood in the urine or stools, headache, dizziness, or weakness, pain, swelling, or discomfort in a joint, pinpoint red spots on your skin, unusual nosebleeds, or unusual vaginal bleeding that is heavier than normal. These may be signs of bleeding problems.

Pacritinib may cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, and in some cases it can be severe. Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor. Diarrhea medicines may make the diarrhea worse or make it last longer. If you have any questions about this or if mild diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting continues, or gets worse, check with your doctor.

Pacritinib will lower the number of some types of blood cells in your body. Because of this, you may bleed or get infections more easily. To help with these problems, avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Wash your hands often. Stay away from rough sports or other situations where you could be bruised, cut, or injured. Brush and floss your teeth gently. Be careful when using sharp objects, including razors and fingernail clippers.

Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you had a heart rhythm problem, such as QT prolongation.

This medicine may increase your risk of serious heart or blood vessel problems, including heart attack or stroke. Call your doctor right away if you have chest pain or discomfort, confusion, difficulty in speaking, double vision, headache, inability to move arms, legs, or facial muscles, nausea, pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck, sweating, trouble breathing, or vomiting.

Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, chest pain, cough, dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, fast heartbeat, pain, redness, or swelling in the arm or leg, pains in the chest, groin, or legs, especially calves of the legs, severe headaches, sudden loss of coordination, sudden onset of slurred speech, sudden vision changes, or trouble breathing. These may be symptoms of serious blood clots (eg, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, arterial thrombosis).

This medicine may increase your risk of cancer (eg, lymphoma, non-melanoma skin cancer). Tell your doctor right away if you have black, tarry stools, general feeling of illness, swollen glands, weight loss, yellow skin and eyes, persistent non-healing sore, reddish patch or irritated area, shiny bump, pink growth, or white, yellow or waxy scar-like area on the skin.

Your body's ability to fight infections may be reduced while you are using baricitinib. It is very important that you call your doctor at the first sign of an infection. Check with your doctor right away if you have a fever, chills, cough, flu-like symptoms, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

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

Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using this medicine 7 days before having surgery or medical tests.

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 or vitamin supplements.

Serious side effects of pacritinib

Along with its needed effects, pacritinib 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 while taking pacritinib:

Other side effects of pacritinib

Some side effects of pacritinib 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:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to pacritinib: oral capsule.

General adverse events

The most commonly reported side effects included diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, and nausea.^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Very common (10% or more): Peripheral edema (up to 20%), serious hemorrhage (up to 13%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Cardiac failure, fatal hemorrhage, QT prolongation
• Frequency not reported: Arterial thrombosis, cardiovascular death, deep vein thrombosis, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, thrombosis^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Pruritus^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Diarrhea (up to 48%), nausea (up to 32%), vomiting (up to 19%)^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Very common (10% or more): Thrombocytopenia (up to 34%), anemia (up to 24%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Neutropenia^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Frequency not reported: Risk of infection (e.g., bacterial, fungal, mycobacterial, viral)^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Dizziness (up to 15%)
• Frequency not reported: Cerebral hemorrhage, meningorrhagia, stroke^[Ref]

Ocular

• Common (1% to 10%): Conjunctival hemorrhage^[Ref]

Oncologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Squamous cell carcinoma of skin
• Frequency not reported: Acute myeloid leukemia, lymphoma, non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), secondary malignancies^[Ref]

Other

• Very common (10% or more): Pyrexia (up to 15%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Disease progression
• Frequency not reported: Multiorgan failure^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Very common (10% or more): Epistaxis (up to 12%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Cough, dyspnea, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection^[Ref]

See also:

Further information

Pacritinib side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer