Pemigatinib Side Effects
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 7, 2024.
Applies to pemigatinib: oral tablet.
Serious side effects of pemigatinib
Along with its needed effects, pemigatinib 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 pemigatinib:
More common side effects
- bladder pain
- bloody or cloudy urine
- bloody nose
- changes in the fingernails or toenails
- confusion
- decreased urination
- diarrhea
- difficult, burning, or painful urination
- difficulty in breathing
- dry eyes
- dry mouth
- eye redness, irritation, or pain
- frequent urge to urinate
- increase in heart rate
- irregular heartbeats
- lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
- loosening of the fingernails
- loss of appetite
- lower back or side pain
- mood or mental changes
- muscle cramps in the hands, arms, feet, legs, or face
- numbness and tingling around the mouth, fingertips, or feet
- pain in the bones
- pale skin
- rapid breathing
- redness or soreness around the fingernails
- seeing flashes or sparks of light
- seeing floating spots before the eyes, or a veil or curtain across part of your vision
- seizures
- stomach cramps
- sunken eyes
- swelling of the hands, ankles, feet, or lower legs
- thirst
- tremor
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- unusual tiredness or weakness
- unusual weight loss
- wrinkled skin
Less common side effects
- pain or swelling in the arms or legs without any injury
Other side effects of pemigatinib
Some side effects of pemigatinib 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 side effects
- acid or sour stomach
- belching
- bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet
- changes in taste
- constipation
- difficulty in moving
- dry skin
- hair loss
- heartburn
- indigestion
- loss of taste
- nausea
- pain in the joints
- rapid weight gain
- redness, swelling, pain of the skin
- scaling of the skin on the hands and feet
- stomach discomfort, upset, or pain
- swelling or inflammation of the mouth
- ulceration of the skin
- vomiting
For healthcare professionals
Applies to pemigatinib: oral tablet.
General adverse events
The most common adverse reactions were hyperphosphatemia, alopecia, diarrhea, nail toxicity, fatigue, dysgeusia, nausea, constipation, stomatitis, dry eye, dry mouth, decreased appetite, vomiting, arthralgia, abdominal pain, hypophosphatemia, back pain, dry skin, rash, anemia, epistaxis, serous retinal detachment, extremity pain, dyspepsia, blurred vision, peripheral edema, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, and dizziness.
The most common laboratory abnormalities with a frequency of 20% or greater were increased phosphate, decreased lymphocytes, decreased leukocytes, increased alkaline phosphatase, decreased hemoglobin, increased ALT, increased AST, decreased neutrophils, increased creatinine, decreased phosphate, decreased sodium, increased glucose, decreased platelets, decreased calcium, increased calcium, decreased potassium, and increased bilirubin.[Ref]
Dermatologic
- Very common (10% or more): Nail toxicity (up to 62%), alopecia (up to 59%), rash (up to 35%), dry skin (up to 24%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (up to 18%)
- Common (1% to 10%): Abnormal hair growth
- Uncommon(0.1% to 1%): Cutaneous calcification[Ref]
Nail toxicity included ingrowing nail, nail discoloration, nail pigmentation, nail bed inflammation, nail bed tenderness, nail dystrophy, nail hypertrophy, nail ridging, nail infection, abnormal nail growth, onychalgia, onychoclasis, onycholysis, onychomadesis, onychomycosis, and paronychia.
Dry skin included xerosis.
Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome included palmar-erythema, palmer-plantar erythrodysesthesia, and plantar erythema.
Rash included dermatitis, dermatitis acneiform, lichen planus, rash, rash macular, and skin exfoliation.[Ref]
Gastrointestinal
- Very common (10% or more): Stomatitis (up to 53%), diarrhea (up to 50%), nausea (up to 40%), abdominal pain (up to 35%), constipation (up to 35%), dry mouth (up to 34%), vomiting (up to 27%), dyspepsia (up to 24%)[Ref]
Stomatitis included aphthous ulcer, cheilitis, lip ulceration, mouth ulceration, pharyngeal inflammation, and tongue ulceration.
Abdominal pain included lower abdominal pain, upper abdominal pain, and abdominal rigidity.[Ref]
Genitourinary
- Very common (10% or more): Urinary tract infection (up to 16%)[Ref]
Hematologic
- Very common (10% or more): Decreased lymphocytes (up to 65%), increased leukocytes (up to 65%), decreased hemoglobin (up to 53%), decreased neutrophils (up to 45%), anemia (up to 35%), decreased platelets (up to 29%), decreased leukocytes (up to 18%), elevated prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (up to 16%)[Ref]
Hepatic
- Very common (10% or more): Increased ALT (up to 50%), increased AST (up to 47%), increased bilirubin (up to 26%)[Ref]
Metabolic
- Very common (10% or more): Hyperphosphatemia (up to 74%), increased glucose (up to 36%), decreased appetite (up to 33%), increased urate (up to 30%), hypophosphatemia (up to 23%), elevated uric acid (up to 18%), dehydration (up to 15%), decreased glucose (up to 11%)
- Common (1% to 10%): Hyponatremia
- Frequency not reported: Nonuremic calciphylaxis[Ref]
Musculoskeletal
- Very common (10% or more): Pain in extremity (up to 26%), arthralgia (up to 25%), back pain (up to 24%)
- Common (1% to 10%): Fractures, pathologic fractures
- Frequency not reported: Soft tissue mineralization[Ref]
Soft tissue mineralization, including cutaneous calcification, calcinosis, and nonuremic calciphylaxis associated with hyperphosphatemia were observed during the treatment with this drug.
Back pain included both back pain and spinal pain.
Pathologic fractures included patients with and without cholangiocarcinoma.[Ref]
Nervous system
Ocular
- Very common (10% or more): Dry eye (up to 50%), retinal pigment epithelial detachment (up to 26%), blurred vision (up to 21%), trichiasis (up to 18%)
- Common (1% to 10%): Punctate keratitis[Ref]
Dry eye included keratitis, increased lacrimation, pinguecula, and punctate keratitis.
Retinal pigment epithelial detachment included detachment of retinal pigment epithelium, maculopathy, retinal detachment, retinal disorder, retinal thickening, serous retinal detachment, and subretinal fluid.[Ref]
Other
- Very common (10% or more): Increased alkaline phosphatase (up to 62%), fatigue/asthenia (up to 44%), increased calcium (up to 43%), decreased sodium (up to 41%), decreased albumin (up to 34%), decreased calcium (up to 26%), decreased potassium (up to 26%), peripheral edema (up to 21%), pyrexia (up to 18%), weight loss (up to 16%), increased potassium (up to 12%)
- Frequency not reported: Calcinosis[Ref]
Renal
- Very common (10% or more): Increased blood creatinine (up to 44%)[Ref]
Respiratory
- Very common (10% or more): Epistaxis (up to 29%)[Ref]
References
1. (2023) "Product Information. Pemazyre (pemigatinib)." Incyte Biosciences UK Ltd
2. (2022) "Product Information. Pemazyre (pemigatinib)." Incyte Corporation, SUPPL-2
3. (2023) "Product Information. Pemazyre (pemigatinib)." Specialised Therapeutics Alim Pty Ltd, 20231019_PEM_AU_PI_S
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Further information
Pemigatinib 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.