Taking PYRUKYND®
A single oral tablet
taken 2 times a day
with or without food
Check in with your doctor regularly to monitor your treatment progress and ask any questions you have while taking PYRUKYND.
Before starting PYRUKYND, your doctor will determine if your Hb is considered lower than normal and evaluate your need for transfusions. As you start treatment, your doctor may make adjustments as needed based upon changes in symptoms, Hb, need for transfusions, and potential side effects. If your Hb reaches a normal range, you’ll stay at your current dose.
Start at 5 mg twice a day
- The starting dose for PYRUKYND is one 5-mg tablet taken orally twice daily for 4 weeks
- Your doctor will assess your Hb prior to potentially increasing your dose
Your doctor may increase your dose to 20 mg
After 4 weeks, your doctor may increase your dose of PYRUKYND to improve your body’s Hb if:
- Your Hb stays below the normal range, or
- You’ve needed a transfusion within the last 8 weeks
If needed, your dose will increase from 5 mg twice daily to 20 mg twice daily. Your doctor will assess your Hb prior to potentially increasing your dose.
Your doctor may increase your dose to 50 mg
After 8 weeks, your doctor may increase your dose of PYRUKYND to 50 mg twice daily to maximize your body’s response if:
- Your Hb stays below the normal range after taking 20 mg of PYRUKYND twice daily, or
- You’ve needed a transfusion within the last 8 weeks
Your doctor will determine if other medications you’re taking may cause your dosage to go above 50 mg twice daily. Your doctor will assess your Hb prior to potentially increasing your dose.
Remember that PK deficiency is a chronic, genetic disease, which means it is persistent through life. Once treatment has started, it’s important to continue with it.
Missing a dose
If you miss a dose of PYRUKYND, there are ways to get back on track. Here's what to do:
- If it’s been 4 hours or less since the time you usually take it, take your dose as soon as possible
- If it’s been over 4 hours since your missed dose, skip your missed dose. Wait until your next scheduled time to take PYRUKYND, and take your normal dose. Do NOT double your dose the next time you take PYRUKYND
Stopping treatment
- Make sure to discuss any changes with your doctor before you stop taking PYRUKYND. If you stop treatment abruptly, there is a risk of acute hemolysis. Acute hemolysis is when a large number of red blood cells are destroyed over a short time
- If you and your doctor decide you should stop taking PYRUKYND, you’ll follow a schedule that slowly decreases your doses
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you discontinue treatment and develop signs or symptoms of acute hemolysis, which include yellowing of the skin or eyes, darkening of the urine, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
Our PYRUKYND Dosage Guide can
help you stay on track with treatment
Download nowImportant Safety Information
What is PYRUKYND?
PYRUKYND is a prescription medicine used to treat low red blood cell counts caused by the early breakdown of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia) in adults with pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency.
It is not known if PYRUKYND is safe and effective in children.
Important Safety Information
PYRUKYND may cause serious side effects, including:
- Rapid breakdown of red blood cells (acute hemolysis) has happened after suddenly interrupting or stopping treatment with PYRUKYND. You should not suddenly stop taking PYRUKYND. If you have to stop your treatment with PYRUKYND, your healthcare provider should monitor you closely. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of breakdown of red blood cells including yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice), dark colored urine, dizziness, confusion, feeling tired, or shortness of breath
The most common side effects of PYRUKYND were decrease in reproductive hormone (estrone) in men, increased salt from uric acid (urate) blood test, back pain, decrease in reproductive hormone (estradiol) in men, and joint pain (arthralgia).
These are not all the possible side effects of PYRUKYND. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Before taking PYRUKYND, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have liver problems
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if PYRUKYND will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think that you are pregnant during treatment with PYRUKYND
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if PYRUKYND passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with PYRUKYND
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. PYRUKYND and certain other medicines may affect each other causing side effects. PYRUKYND may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how PYRUKYND works. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider or pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.
