Imuran Medication Summary
No separate FDA Medication Guide was found for this label. This summary is based on FDA/DailyMed prescribing information.
What is this medication?
This medication is described in FDA/DailyMed prescribing information. No separate FDA Medication Guide was found for this label. This summary is based on FDA/DailyMed prescribing information.
What is this medication used for?
IMURAN is indicated as an adjunct for the prevention of rejection in renal homotransplantation. It is also indicated for the management of active rheumatoid arthritis to reduce signs and symptoms.
What should I know before taking it?
IMURAN should not be given to patients who have shown hypersensitivity to the drug. IMURAN should not be used for treating rheumatoid arthritis in pregnant women. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis previously treated with alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, melphalan, or others) may have a prohibitive risk of malignancy if treated with IMURAN.
What important warnings are listed?
WARNING - MALIGNANCY Chronic immunosuppression with IMURAN, a purine antimetabolite increases risk of malignancy in humans. Reports of malignancy include post-transplant lymphoma and hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Physicians using this drug should be very familiar with this risk as well as with the mutagenic potential to both men and women and with possible hematologic toxicities. Physicians should inform patients of the risk of malignancy with IMURAN. See WARNINGS.
How is this medication usually taken?
TPMT TESTING CANNOT SUBSTITUTE FOR COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC) MONITORING IN PATIENTS RECEIVING IMURAN. TPMT genotyping or phenotyping can be used to identify patients with absent or reduced TPMT activity. Patients with low or absent TPMT activity are at an increased risk of developing severe, life-threatening myelotoxicity from IMURAN if conventional doses are given. Physicians may consider alternative therapies for patients who have low or absent TPMT activity (homozygous for non-functional alleles). IMURAN should be administered with caution to patients having one non-functional allele (heterozygous) who are at risk for reduced TPMT activity that may lead to toxicity if conventional doses.
What side effects are listed?
The principal and potentially serious toxic effects of IMURAN are hematologic and gastrointestinal. The risks of secondary infection and malignancy are also significant (see WARNINGS). The frequency and severity of adverse reactions depend on the dose and duration of IMURAN as well as on the patient's underlying disease or concomitant therapies. The incidence of hematologic toxicities and neoplasia encountered in groups of renal homograft recipients is significantly higher than that in studies employing IMURAN for rheumatoid arthritis. The relative incidences in clinical studies are summarized below: * Data on the rate and risk of neoplasia among persons with rheumatoid arthritis treated.
What interactions are listed?
Drug Interactions: Use with xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors: One of the pathways for inactivation of azathioprine is inhibited by XO inhibitors (allopurinol or febuxostat). Patients receiving IMURAN and allopurinol concomitantly should have a dose reduction of IMURAN, to approximately 1/ 3 to 1/ 4 the usual dose. Concomitant use of IMURAN and febuxostat is not recommended. Inhibition of XO may cause increased plasma concentrations of azathioprine or its metabolite, 6-MP, leading to toxicity. It is recommended that a further dose reduction or alternative therapies be considered for patients with low or absent TPMT activity receiving IMURAN and xanthine oxidase inhibitors because both TPMT.
Where can I find the official prescribing information?
Review the full prescribing information on DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=606101a0-6244-7eff-e053-2a91aa0acadd
⚠️ Disclaimer
This summary is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medicine. Read full medical disclaimer.