Take Home:
1- Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) now comes in a new formulation, which requires taking just two tabs a day instead of four.
2- The new formulation is film coated to make it easier to swallow.
Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) is one of the newer hormone drugs used to treat men with castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). It disrupts the production of androgens, including testosterone, not only from the testis but also from the adrenals as well as the tumors.
Zytiga isn’t the easiest drug to take. It needs to be taken on an empty stomach. The normal dosage is four tablets per day. Many men complain that it is hard to swallow and is very chalky. As a result of these factors, too many men find it difficult to comply with the required protocol, despite the fact that compliance is important for adequate treatment.
Zytiga is now available in a new dosage and a new formulation. Zytiga can now be dispensed in tablets that are 500 mg instead of 250 mg and these new 500 mg tabs are film coated.
The 500 mg formulation means that instead of having to take four pills a day it is now possible to take only two a day. The film coating is designed to make the two tabs easier to swallow without having to experience the chalky sensation.
Even with this new formulation, it remains important to take Zytiga on an empty stomach along with Prednisone. The new formulation, just like to old one, should be taken on an empty stomach and must be swallowed, without chewing.
Your doctor will need to write a new prescription for the new formulation if you want to try them.
Joel T. Nowak, MA, MSW wrote this Post. Joel is the CEO/Executive Director of Cancer ABCs. He is a Cancer Thriver diagnosed with 5 primary cancers - Thyroid, Metastatic Prostate, Renal, Melanoma and a rare cancer, Appendiceal Cancer.
