Fotivda (Tivozanib) for Kidney Cancer

Overview
Fotivda is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of kidney cancer, after they have received two or more prior systemic therapies. Fotivda is also known by its drug name, tivozanib.

Fotivda is a kinase inhibitor, a type of targeted therapy. It works by blocking enzymes called vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs), which help cancer cells grow new blood vessels. By blocking these receptors, Fotivda helps slow or stop the growth of kidney cancer.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Fotivda is taken orally (by mouth) once daily, with or without food, for 21 days followed by seven days off, completing a 28-day treatment cycle. This schedule is repeated until the disease progresses or side effects become too severe. Fotivda should be taken exactly as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Fotivda include fatigue, hypertension (high blood pressure), diarrhea, decreased appetite, nausea, dysphonia (voice changes), hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cough, and stomatitis (mouth inflammation). Common serious laboratory abnormalities include hyponatremia (low sodium levels), increased lipase (a digestive enzyme), and hypophosphatemia (low phosphate levels).

Rare but serious side effects may include cardiac failure (heart failure), arterial thromboembolic events (heart attacks and strokes), venous thromboembolic events (blood clots in veins), hemorrhagic events (bleeding), proteinuria (kidney damage resulting in protein in the urine), gastrointestinal perforation (holes in the stomach or intestines), thyroid dysfunction (abnormal thyroid function), impaired wound healing (slow or poor recovery after surgery), reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (a brain disorder that can cause headaches, confusion, and vision problems), embryo-fetal toxicity (harm to an unborn baby during pregnancy), and hypersensitivity to tartrazine (allergic reactions to a type of yellow dye).

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Label: Fotivda — Tivozanib Capsule — DailyMed