Ponatinib

FDA label, Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., oral, effective 2026-08-14. Full label on DailyMed

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From MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Quoted from the FDA label. Product labels differ by manufacturer and change over time; confirm against the label for the product you are using.

Boxed warning

WARNING: ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE EVENTS, VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLIC EVENTS, HEART FAILURE, and HEPATOTOXICITY WARNING: ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE EVENTS, VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLIC EVENTS, HEART FAILURE, and HEPATOTOXICITY See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Arterial occlusive events (AOEs), including fatalities, have occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. AOEs included fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, stenosis of large arterial vessels of the brain, severe peripheral vascular disease, and the need for urgent revascularization procedures. Patients with and without cardiovascular risk factors, including patients age 50 years or younger, experienced these events.

Monitor for evidence of AOEs. Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG based on severity. Consider benefit-risk to guide a decision to restart ICLUSIG. ( 2.2 , 5.1 ) Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) have occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. Monitor for evidence of VTEs. Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG based on severity. ( 2.2 , 5.2 ) Heart failure, including fatalities, occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. Monitor for heart failure and manage patients as clinically indicated. Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG for new or worsening heart failure. ( 2.2 , 5.3 ) Hepatotoxicity, liver failure and death have occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. Monitor liver function tests.

Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG based on severity. ( 2.2 , 5.4 ) Arterial Occlusive Events: Arterial occlusive events (AOEs), including fatalities, have occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. AOEs included fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, stenosis of large arterial vessels of the brain, severe peripheral vascular disease, and the need for urgent revascularization procedures. Patients with and without cardiovascular risk factors, including patients age 50 years or younger, experienced these events. Monitor for evidence of AOEs. Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG based on severity.

Consider benefit-risk to guide a decision to restart ICLUSIG [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Venous Thromboembolic Events: Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) have occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. Monitor for evidence of VTEs. Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG based on severity [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) , Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] . Heart Failure: Heart failure, including fatalities, occurred in ICLUSIG-treated patients. Monitor for heart failure and manage patients as clinically indicated. Interrupt or discontinue ICLUSIG for new or worsening heart failure [see Dosage and Administration…

Handling and access

NIOSH hazardous drug

Table 2

NIOSH lists ponatinib 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.

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.

Source: NIOSH List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2024December 2024, updates through Jul 17, 2025

Dosing in kidney impairment

Patients developed digital or distal extremity necrosis and required amputations. Renal artery stenosis associated with worsening, labile or treatment-resistant hypertension occurred in some ICLUSIG-treated patients [see Warnings and Precautions ] . In PACE, patients with uncontrolled hypertriglyceridemia and patients with clinically significant or active cardiovascular disease, including any history of clinically significant atrial/ventricular arrhythmias or history of myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or congestive heart failure within the 3 months prior to the first dose of ICLUSIG, were excluded [see Adverse Reactions ] .

Interrupt, dose reduce, or stop ICLUSIG if hypertension is not medically controlled [see Dosage and Administration ] . For significant worsening, labile or treatment-resistant hypertension, interrupt ICLUSIG and consider evaluating for renal artery stenosis. 5.6 Pancreatitis Serious or severe pancreatitis has occurred in patients who received ICLUSIG.

Dosing in liver impairment

Dosage for Patients with Hepatic Impairment For patients with CP-CML, AP-CML, BP-CML, and Ph+ ALL receiving monotherapy, reduce the starting dose of ICLUSIG from 45 mg orally once daily to 30 mg orally once daily in patients with pre-existing hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A, B, or C). For patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL, no dosage adjustment is recommended when administering ICLUSIG to patients with mild hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A).

Closely monitor patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C) and modify the ICLUSIG dosage in the event of adverse reactions [see Dosage and Administration , Use in Specific Populations ] .

Preparation and administration

Dosage Modification for Coadministration of Strong CYP3A Inhibitors Avoid coadministration of ICLUSIG with strong CYP3A inhibitors. If coadministration of a strong CYP3A inhibitor cannot be avoided, reduce the dosage of ICLUSIG as recommended in Table 3. After the strong CYP3A inhibitor has been discontinued for 3 to 5 elimination half-lives, resume the ICLUSIG dosage that was tolerated prior to initiating the strong CYP3A inhibitor [see Drug Interactions , Clinical Pharmacology ] . [See table below.]

Drug interactions

Check ponatinib against a medication list
Label text (3 paragraphs)

Strong CYP3A Inhibitors : Avoid coadministration or reduce ICLUSIG dose if coadministration cannot be avoided. ( 2.3 , 7.1 ) Strong CYP3A Inducers : Avoid coadministration. ( 7.1 )

7.1 Effects of Other Drugs on ICLUSIG Strong CYP3A Inhibitors Coadministration of ICLUSIG with a strong CYP3A inhibitor increases ponatinib plasma concentrations [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] , which may increase the risk of ICLUSIG adverse reactions. Avoid coadministration of ICLUSIG with strong CYP3A inhibitors. If coadministration of ICLUSIG with strong CYP3A inhibitors cannot be avoided, reduce the ICLUSIG dosage [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) ] . Strong CYP3A Inducers Coadministration of ICLUSIG with a strong CYP3A inducer decreases ponatinib plasma concentrations [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

Avoid coadministration of ICLUSIG with strong CYP3A inducers unless the benefit outweighs the risk of decreased ponatinib exposure. Monitor patients for reduced efficacy. Selection of concomitant medication with no or minimal CYP3A induction potential is recommended.

Contraindications

None. None. ( 4 )

Safety data

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

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Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System via openFDA

Liver injury (LiverTox)

E*

Likelihood score E*: Unproven but suspected cause of clinically apparent liver injury.

Ponatinib is a tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor that is used in the therapy of refractory chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) positive for the Philadelphia chromosome. Ponatinib is commonly associated with transient elevations in serum aminotransferase levels during treatment, but with only rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.

ABCDEA: well known cause; E: unlikely cause. [HD]: high doses only.

Source: LiverTox: Ponatinib (NIDDK, public domain)Chapter updated May 10, 2020

Pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Based on findings in animals and its mechanism of action [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.1) ] , ICLUSIG can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. There are no available data on ICLUSIG use in pregnant women. In animal reproduction studies, oral administration of ponatinib to pregnant rats during organogenesis caused adverse developmental effects at doses lower than human exposures at the maximum recommended human dose of 45 mg/day (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% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. Data Animal Data Ponatinib was studied for effects on embryo-fetal development in pregnant rats given oral doses of 0.3 mg/kg/day, 1 mg/kg/day, and 3 mg/kg/day during organogenesis (25 rats per group). At the maternally toxic dose of 3 mg/kg/day (equivalent to the AUC in patients receiving the maximum recommended dose of 45 mg/day), ponatinib caused embryo-fetal toxicity as shown by increased resorptions, reduced body weight, external alterations, multiple soft tissue and skeletal alterations, and reduced ossification.

Embryo-fetal toxicities also were observed at 1 mg/kg/day (approximately 24% the AUC in patients receiving the maximum recommended dose of 45 mg/day) and involved multiple fetal soft tissue and skeletal alterations, including reduced ossification.

Breastfeeding (LactMed)

No information is available on the clinical use of ponatinib during breastfeeding. Because ponatinib is more than 99% bound to plasma proteins, the amount in milk is likely to be low. However, its half-life is about 24 hours and it might accumulate in the infant. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend avoiding breastfeeding during ponatinib therapy and the manufacturer recommends withholding breastfeeding for 6 days following the last dose.

Alternatives LactMed suggests considering:
Source: LactMed: Ponatinib (NICHD, public domain)Revised Feb 20, 2022

Supply and cost

Drug shortage status

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Therapeutic equivalence (Orange Book)

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