IMPORTANT WARNING:
Taking ritlecitinib may decrease your ability to fight an infection and increase your risk of getting a serious infection, including fungal, bacterial, or viral infections that spread through the body. These infections may need to be treated in a hospital and may cause death. Tell your doctor if you often get any type of infection or if you think you may have any type of infection now. This includes minor infections (such as open cuts or sores), infections that come and go (such as cold sores), and chronic infections that do not go away. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B (a viral infection that affects the liver), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV: an ongoing liver infection), herpes zoster (shingles; a rash that can occur in people who have had chickenpox in the past), a lung disease, or any other condition that affects your immune system. Your doctor may do blood tests to see if you have any of these diseases. Tell your doctor if you are taking medications that decrease the activity of the immune system. Make sure you have discussed any medications you are currently taking or plan to take with your doctor and pharmacist before starting ritlecitinib.
Your doctor will monitor you for signs of infection during and after your treatment. If you have any of the following symptoms before you begin your treatment or if you experience any of the following symptoms during or shortly after your treatment, call your doctor immediately: fever; sweating; chills; muscle aches; cough; shortness of breath; weight loss; warm, red, or painful skin; sores on the skin; frequent, painful, or burning feeling during urination; diarrhea; or excessive tiredness.
You may already be infected with tuberculosis (TB; a serious lung infection) but not have any symptoms of the disease. In this case, taking ritlecitinib may make your infection more serious and cause you to develop symptoms. Your doctor will perform a skin test to see if you have an inactive TB infection. If necessary, your doctor will give you medication to treat this infection before you start using ritlecitinib. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had TB, if you have lived in or visited a country where TB is common, or if you have been around someone who has TB. If you have any of the following symptoms of TB, or if you develop any of these symptoms during your treatment, call your doctor immediately: cough, coughing up bloody mucus, weight loss, loss of muscle tone, or fever.
Taking ritlecitinib may increase the risk that you will develop a lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells that fight infection) or other types of cancers such as skin cancer or lung cancer. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any type of cancer. Plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing and sunscreen. Also tell your doctor if you smoke or if you have ever smoked.
Taking ritlecitinib may cause serious or life-threatening heart problems, such as a heart attack or stroke, or serious or life-threatening blood clots in the lungs or legs. Also tell your doctor if have or have ever had a heart attack or other heart problems; a stroke; a blood clot in your legs, arms, or lungs, or in the arteries; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; or diabetes. If you experience any of the following symptoms during your treatment, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: pain in the chest, arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach; breaking out in cold sweat; feeling light-headed; dizziness; numbness or weakness in face, arm, or legs; slow or difficult speech; sudden shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; swelling of a leg or arm; leg pain; redness, discoloration, or warmth in the legs or arms.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests before, during, and after your treatment to check your body's response to ritlecitinib.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with [Drug X] and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) {or the manufacturer's website} to obtain the Medication Guide.