boceprevir

Skip to the navigation

Pronunciation: boe SEP re vir

Brand: Victrelis

What is the most important information I should know about boceprevir?

Boceprevir is used in combination with other medications called peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.

Do not use boceprevir with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin if you are pregnant, or if you are a man and your female sexual partner is pregnant. Ribavirin can cause birth defects or death in an unborn baby.

Some medicines can interact with boceprevir and should not be used at the same time. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using.

What is boceprevir?

Boceprevir is an antiviral medicine that prevents certain viruses from multiplying in your body. Boceprevir is used in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, or with sofosbuvir to treat hepatitis C genotype 1 in adults.

Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medication in your combination therapy. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice.

Boceprevir may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking boceprevir?

You should not use boceprevir if you are allergic to it.

Do not take boceprevir as your only hepatitis medicine. Boceprevir must be used in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin. Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medicine you take. In some cases, you may not be able to use this drug combination.

Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used with boceprevir. Your doctor may need to change your treatment plan if you use any of the following drugs:

  • cisapride;
  • drospirenone (Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz, Angeliq, and others);
  • lurasidone or pimozide;
  • rifampin;
  • St. John's wort;
  • alfuzosin, doxazosin, silodosin, tamsulosin;
  • lovastatin or simvastatin;
  • oral midazolam or triazolam;
  • ergonovine, ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, methylergonovine;
  • the seizure medications carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or phenytoin; or
  • sildenafil (Revatio) or tadalafil (Adcirca) when used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension.

To make sure you can safely take boceprevir, tell your doctor if you have:

  • liver problems other than hepatitis C (including hepatitis B);
  • a history of liver or other organ transplant; or
  • low white blood cell (WBC) or red blood cell (RBC) counts, or low levels of platelets in in your blood.

Boceprevir is given together with interferon alfa and ribavirin. Ribavirin can cause birth defects or death in an unborn baby. You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before using these medications together, and every month during your treatment.

  • If you are a woman, do not use ribavirin if you are pregnant.
  • If you are a man, do not use ribavirin if your sexual partner is pregnant. An unborn baby could also be harmed if a man fathers the child while he is taking ribavirin.
  • Use at least 2 effective forms of birth control while either sexual partner is using ribavirin. Keep using 2 forms of birth control for at least 6 months after treatment ends. Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using ribavirin.
  • Hormonal contraception (birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings) may not be effective enough to prevent pregnancy during your treatment. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, intrauterine device (IUD), diaphragm with spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking ribavirin.
  • Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using ribavirin.

It is not known whether boceprevir passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

How should I take boceprevir?

Boceprevir is used in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your doses. Do not take these medicines in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medication in your combination therapy. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice. Every person with chronic hepatitis C should remain under the care of a doctor.

Take boceprevir with food. The usual dose of boceprevir is 4 capsules taken 3 times per day, every 7 to 9 hours. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Your total daily dose of 12 capsules is contained in a single bottle of boceprevir. A carton of boceprevir contains 28 bottles for a 4-week supply.

To be sure this medicine is helping your condition, you will need frequent blood tests. Treatment with boceprevir may be discontinued based on the results of these tests.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using boceprevir.

Store boceprevir capsules in the refrigerator, do not freeze. Throw away any unused capsules after the expiration date on the label has passed.

You may also store the capsules at room temperature for up to 3 months. Protect the capsules from heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if your next dose is less than 2 hours away. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking boceprevir?

Taking this medicine will not prevent you from passing hepatitis C to other people. Do not have unprotected sex or share razors or toothbrushes. Talk with your doctor about safe ways to prevent transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

What are the possible side effects of boceprevir?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Read all of your medication guides to learn about possible side effects of other medications you use in combination with boceprevir. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Stop using boceprevir and call your doctor at once if you have:

  • tired feeling, weakness, confusion;
  • easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleed, bleeding gums);
  • pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating; or
  • fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat.

Common side effects may include:

  • headache;
  • altered sense of taste; or
  • nausea.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect boceprevir?

Many drugs can interact with boceprevir, and some drugs should not be used together. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially medicines to treat:

  • infections;
  • asthma or allergies;
  • depression, anxiety, sleep problems;
  • high cholesterol, heart problems, high blood pressure;
  • blood clots;
  • HIV or AIDS, organ transplant rejection;
  • severe pain;
  • erectile dysfunction;
  • pulmonary arterial hypertension;
  • swelling, inflammation; or
  • a hormonal imbalance.

This list is not complete and many other drugs can interact with boceprevir. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide. Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with boceprevir. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about boceprevir.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 5.01. Revision date: 2/27/2017.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.