Adults with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s Granulomatosis) and microscopic polyangiitis, illnesses in which the body destroys its own veins and other blood arteries and can harm organs including the heart and lungs, are treated with avacopan in addition to other drugs. Avacopan belongs to the group of drugs known as complement inhibitors. It functions by preventing the immune system’s component from acting in a way that could harm veins and other blood vessels.

Avacopan is available as a pill to swallow. It is often taken with food twice a day, in the morning and evening. Avacopan should be taken at roughly the same times each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Avapron should be taken as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not open, chew, or crush the capsules; simply swallow them whole with water.

You will get the manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) from your doctor or pharmacist when you start taking avacopan and each time you refill your prescription. If you have any questions, carefully read the material and contact your doctor or pharmacist. The Medication Guide is also available on the manufacturer’s website or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm).

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking avacopan,

• If you have an allergy to avacopan, any other medications, or any of the substances in avacopan capsules, tell your doctor and pharmacist very away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the Medication Guide or speak with your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Be sure to include any of the following: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol, Teril), celecoxib (Celebrex, Elyxyb, in Seglentis), itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura), ketoconazole, midazolam, nefazodone, nelfinavir (Viracept), phenytoin (Dilantin (Vfend). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects. Tell your doctor about all the drugs you are taking, even any not on this list, since many other drugs may also interact with avacopan.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have had had liver disease, such as cirrhosis (a condition that results in the scarring of liver tissue), hepatitis B or C, or any other liver issues. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had tuberculosis (TB, a severe lung infection), if you have recently been around someone who has it, if you have recently visited or lived in an area where TB is common, if you are currently infected with anything, if you have ever had an infection that would not go away, or if it has come and gone.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking avacopan.

If you plan to consume grapefruits or grapefruit juice while taking this medication, consult your doctor.

Ignore the missed dose and carry on with my normal dosing routine. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Avacopan could have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Tingling or numbness in the fingers or toes
• Tiredness
• Rash

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these symptoms, or seek emergency medical attention instead:

• Shortness of breath, breathing or swallowing issues, face, tongue, or throat swelling, sweating, chest pain, dizziness, fainting, rashes, or itching are all possible symptoms
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes, a right upper stomach ache or discomfort, exhaustion, a lack of appetite, bleeding or bruising more easily than usual, or dark urine are some symptoms that may occur
• Warm, red, or painful skin; sores on the skin or in the mouth or throat; frequent, painful, or burning urination are all indications of infection. Other symptoms include a sore throat, fever, chills, cough, earache, headache, and muscle aches

Avacopan may result in additional adverse effects. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor your body’s reaction to avacopan, your doctor will request specific lab tests.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.