Cobimetinib
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Handling and access
NIOSH hazardous drug
Table 2NIOSH lists cobimetinib as a hazardous drug. AHFS class: 10:00 antineoplastic agents.
- Meets the NIOSH definition of a hazardous drug (carcinogenicity, developmental or reproductive toxicity, organ toxicity at low doses, or genotoxicity) without MSHI or a Group 1 or 2A carcinogen classification.
- Only a developmental and/or reproductive hazard: precautions matter most for workers who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive.
Handle with the precautions your facility uses for hazardous drugs (USP <800>). NIOSH's Managing Hazardous Drug Exposures lists controls by drug form and activity.
Dosing in kidney impairment
Renal Impairment No dedicated pharmacokinetic trial in patients with renal impairment has been conducted. Dose adjustment is not recommended for mild to moderate renal impairment (CLcr 30 to 89 mL/min) based on the results of the population pharmacokinetic analysis. A recommended dose has not been established for patients with severe renal impairment [see Clinical Pharmacology ].
Dosing in liver impairment
Hepatic Impairment Adjustment in the starting dose of COTELLIC is not required in patients with mild (Child-Pugh score A), moderate (Child-Pugh B) or severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment [see Clinical Pharmacology ] .
Drug interactions
Check cobimetinib against a medication listLabel text (4 paragraphs)
Avoid concomitant administration of COTELLIC with strong or moderate CYP3A inducers or inhibitors. ( 2.3 , 7.1 , 7.2 )
7.1 Effect of Strong or Moderate CYP3A Inhibitors on COTELLIC Coadministration of COTELLIC with itraconazole (a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor) increased cobimetinib systemic exposure by 6.7-fold. Avoid concurrent use of COTELLIC and strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors. If concurrent short term (14 days or less) use of moderate CYP3A inhibitors including certain antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin, ciprofloxacin) is unavoidable for patients who are taking COTELLIC 60 mg, reduce COTELLIC dose to 20 mg. After discontinuation of a moderate CYP3A inhibitor, resume COTELLIC at the previous dose [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Use an alternative to a strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitor in patients who are taking a reduced dose of COTELLIC (40 or 20 mg daily) [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
7.2 Effect of Strong or Moderate CYP3A Inducers on COTELLIC Coadministration of COTELLIC with a strong CYP3A inducer may decrease cobimetinib systemic exposure by more than 80% and reduce its efficacy. Avoid concurrent use of COTELLIC and strong or moderate CYP3A inducers including but not limited to carbamazepine, efavirenz, phenytoin, rifampin, and St. John's Wort [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Contraindications
None. None. ( 4 )
Safety data
Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Liver injury (LiverTox)
DLikelihood score D: Possible cause of clinically apparent liver injury.
Cobimetinib is a tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor that is used in combination with vemurafenib as therapy for selected forms of advanced malignant melanoma. The combination of cobimetinib and vemurafenib is commonly associated with serum enzyme elevations during therapy and to rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.
ABCDEA: well known cause; E: unlikely cause. [HD]: high doses only.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Based on findings from animal reproduction studies and its mechanism of action, COTELLIC can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.1) ]. There are no available data on the use of COTELLIC during pregnancy. In animal reproduction studies, oral administration of cobimetinib in pregnant rats during organogenesis was teratogenic and embryotoxic at exposures (AUC) that were 0.9 to 1.4-times those observed in humans at the recommended human dose of 60 mg [see Data ] . Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. In the U.S.
general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2–4% and 15–20%, respectively. Data Animal Data Administration of cobimetinib to pregnant rats during the period of organogenesis resulted in increased post-implantation loss, including total litter loss, at exposures (AUC) of 0.9–1.4 times those in humans at the recommended dose of 60 mg. Post-implantation loss was primarily due to early resorptions. Fetal malformations of the great vessels and skull (eye sockets) occurred at the same exposures.
Breastfeeding (LactMed)
No information is available on the clinical use of cobimetinib during breastfeeding. Because cobimetinib is 90% bound to plasma proteins, the amount in milk is likely to be low. However, its half-life is about 44 hours, and it might accumulate in the infant. The manufacturer recommends that breastfeeding be discontinued during cobimetinib therapy and for 2 weeks after the last dose.
Supply and cost
Drug shortage status
Recalls (last 24 months)
Therapeutic equivalence (Orange Book)
Price ladder
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