What Is Wayrilz, and Why Does It Matter?
Wayrilz (rilzabrutinib) is a new oral medicine for adults with a long-lasting blood clotting disorder known as chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who haven't had success with other treatments. ITP is a disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks your platelets (cells that help your blood clot). Besides causing easy bruising, bleeding, and tiredness, ITP also increases your risk of blood clots and may cause life-threatening bleeding in the brain. More than 25,000 adults in the U.S. live with ITP and may need new and more effective treatment options.
Wayrilz works by selectively blocking a protein in your immune system called Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) that plays an important role in how your immune system works. The medicine acts on several parts of your immune system at the same time (multi-immune modulation) to target the main cause of ITP and protect your platelets.
Wayrilz is the first BTK blocker approved for ITP, offering a new way to manage the disease in people who do not respond to or cannot tolerate common treatments.
Why Was It Approved?
Wayrilz was approved after a study showed that it quickly and consistently raised platelet counts in adults with chronic or persistent ITP who had not responded well to other treatments.
In the study, 23% of people taking Wayrilz had a steady increase in their platelet counts, whereas no one in the placebo group (those who took a dummy medicine that has no effect) showed a similar response. People taking Wayrilz also saw faster results, with most seeing an improvement in just over a month.
The most common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, headache, stomach pain, and COVID-19. Serious infections like pneumonia or urinary tract infections were seen in rare cases. Liver problems were reported in some cases, for which your health care provider may do some blood tests to check your liver function during treatment.
What Do I Need to Know?
Wayrilz is taken by mouth twice a day, about the same time each day, with or without food. If you have stomach issues like nausea, diarrhea, or pain in your belly area, taking it with food may help. Swallow the tablets whole – don't crush, cut, or chew them. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but only if it's at least two hours before your next dose.
Avoid taking Wayrilz if you have moderate or severe liver or kidney problems since it hasn't been tested in people with these conditions. Be sure to tell your health care provider about any liver or kidney problems that you may have.
Also tell your health care provider about all medicines you take, including over-the-counter products and supplements, as Wayrilz may interact with medicines, especially those that affect liver enzymes or stomach acid (such as antacids). Avoid grapefruit, starfruit, and products having these fruits and Seville oranges (often used in marmalades) while taking Wayrilz, as they can affect how the medicine works.
Wayrilz may harm an unborn baby. Talk to your health care provider if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. If you can become pregnant, use birth control while taking the medicine and for a week after your last dose. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment and for at least a week after stopping the medicine.
Visit your health care provider at once if you get an infection or have a fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms. Call your health care provider right away if you notice dark or "tea-colored" urine, yellowing of the skin or the white part of your eyes, or pain or discomfort in your belly area, as these may mean you have liver problems.