Patient leaflet - Imbruvica 560 mg film-coated tablets
1 What IMBRUVICA is and what it is used for
What IMBRUVICA is
IMBRUVICA is an anticancer medicine that contains the active substance ibrutinib. It belongs to a class of medicines called protein kinase inhibitors.
What IMBRUVICA is used for
It is used to treat the following blood cancers in adults:
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a type
of cancer affecting the lymph nodes. IMBRUVICA is used in patients who have not previously been treated for MCL, and for whom blood stem cell transplant would be suitable, or when the disease has come back or has not responded to treatment. ● Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) a type
of cancer affecting white blood cells called lymphocytes that also involves the lymph nodes. IMBRUVICA is used in patients who have not previously been treated for CLL or when the disease has come back or has not responded to treatment.
Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia (WM),
a type of cancer affecting white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is used in patients who have not previously been treated for WM or when the disease has come back or has not responded to treatment or in patients for whom chemotherapy given together with an antibody is not a suitable therapy.
How IMBRUVICA works
In MCL, CLL and WM, IMBRUVICA works by blocking Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, a protein in the body that helps these cancer cells grow and survive. By blocking this protein, IMBRUVICA helps kill and reduce the number of cancer cells. It also slows down the worsening of the cancer.
2 What you need to know before you take IMBRUVICA
Do not take IMBRUVICA
if you are allergic to ibrutinib or any of the
other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
if you are taking a herbal medicine called
St. John’s Wort, used for depression. If you are not sure about this, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking this medicine.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking IMBRUVICA:
if you have ever had unusual bruising
or bleeding or are on any medicines or supplements that increase your risk of bleeding (see section “Other medicines and IMBRUVICA”)
if you have irregular heart beat or have
a history of irregular heart beat or severe heart failure, or if you feel any of the following: shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, light-headedness, fainting or near fainting, chest pain or swollen legs
if you have liver problems, including if you
ever had or now have a hepatitis B infection (a liver infection)
- if you have high blood pressure
if you have recently had any surgery,
especially if this might affect how you absorb food or medicines from your stomach or gut ● if you are planning to have any surgery–
your doctor may ask you to stop taking IMBRUVICA for a short time (3 to 7 days) before and after your surgery
- if you have kidney problems.
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before or while taking this medicine (see section “Possible side effects”).
When taking IMBRUVICA, tell your doctor immediately if you notice or someone notices in you: memory loss, trouble thinking, difficulty walking or sight loss – these may be due to a very rare but serious brain infection which can be fatal (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy or PML).
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice or someone notices in you: sudden numbness or weakness in the limbs (especially on one side of the body), sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech, sight loss, difficulty walking, loss of balance or lack of coordination, sudden severe headache with no known cause. These may be signs and symptoms of stroke.
Tell your doctor immediately if you develop left upper belly (abdominal) pain, pain below the left rib cage or at the tip of your left shoulder (these may be symptoms of rupture of the spleen) after you stop taking IMBRUVICA.
Effects on the heart
Treatment with IMBRUVICA may affect the heart, especially if you already have heart diseases such as rhythm problems, heart failure, high blood pressure, have diabetes or are of advanced age. The effects may be severe and could cause death, including sometimes sudden death. Your heart function will be checked before and during treatment with IMBRUVICA.
Tell your doctor immediately if you feel breathless, have difficulty breathing when lying down, swelling of the feet, ankles or legs and weakness/tiredness during treatment with IMBRUVICA – these may be signs of heart failure.
Infections
You may experience viral, bacterial, or fungal infections during treatment with IMBRUVICA. Contact your doctor if you have fever, chills, weakness, confusion, body aches, cold or flu symptoms, feel tired or feel short of breath, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice). These could be signs of an infection.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis There have been rare reports of excessive activation of white blood cells associated with inflammation (haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis), which can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated early. If you experience multiple symptoms such as fever, swollen glands, bruising, or skin rash, contact your doctor immediately.
Tests and check-ups before and during treatment
Tumour lysis syndrome (TLS): Unusual levels of chemicals in the blood caused by the fast breakdown of cancer cells have happened during treatment of cancer and sometimes even without treatment. This may lead to changes in kidney function, abnormal heartbeat, or seizures. Your doctor or another healthcare provider may do blood tests to check for TLS.
Lymphocytosis: Laboratory tests may show an increase in white blood cells (called “lymphocytes”) in your blood in the first few weeks of treatment. This is expected and may last for a few months. This does not necessarily mean that your blood cancer is getting worse. Your doctor will check your blood counts before or during the treatment and in rare cases they may need to give you another medicine. Talk to your doctor about what your test results mean.
Events related to the liver: Your doctor will do some blood tests to check whether your liver is working properly or that you do not have a liver infection, known as viral hepatitis, or whether hepatitis B has become active again, which could be fatal.
Children and adolescents
IMBRUVICA should not be used in children and adolescents.
Other medicines and IMBRUVICA
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription, herbal medicines and supplements. This is because IMBRUVICA may affect the way some other medicines work. Also some other medicines can affect the way IMBRUVICA works.
IMBRUVICA may make you bleed more easily. This means you should tell your doctor if you take other medicines that increase your risk of bleeding. This includes:
acetyl salicylic acid and non-steroidal
anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen
blood thinners such as warfarin, heparin or
other medicines for blood clots
supplements that may increase your risk
of bleeding such as fish oil, vitamin E or flaxseed.
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking IMBRUVICA.
Also tell your doctor if you take any of the following medicines – The effects of IMBRUVICA or other medicines may be influenced if you take IMBRUVICA together with any of the following medicines:
medicines called antibiotics to treat bacterial
infections – clarithromycin, telithromycin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin or rifampicin ● medicines for fungal infections –
posaconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole or voriconazole
medicines for HIV infection – ritonavir,
cobicistat, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir, amprenavir, atazanavir, or fosamprenavir
medicines to prevent nausea and vomiting
associated with chemotherapy - aprepitant
- medicines for depression - nefazodone
medicines called kinase inhibitors for
treatment of other cancers – crizotinib or imatinib
medicines called calcium channel blockers for
high blood pressure or chest pain – diltiazem or verapamil
medicines called statins to treat high
cholesterol - rosuvastatin
heart medicines/anti-arrhythmics –
amiodarone or dronedarone
medicines to prevent seizures or to treat
epilepsy, or medicines to treat a painful condition of the face called trigeminal neuralgia – carbamazepine or phenytoin. If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking IMBRUVICA.
If you are taking digoxin, a medicine used for heart problems, or methotrexate, a medicine used to treat other cancers and to reduce the activity of the immune system (e.g., for rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis), it should be taken at least 6 hours before or after IMBRUVICA.
IMBRUVICA with food
Do not take IMBRUVICA with grapefruit or Seville oranges (bitter oranges) – this includes eating them, drinking the juice or taking a supplement that might contain them. This is because it can increase the amount of IMBRUVICA in your blood.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Do not get pregnant while you are taking this medicine. IMBRUVICA should not be used during pregnancy. There is no information about the safety of IMBRUVICA in pregnant women.
Women of childbearing age must use a highly effective method of birth control during and up to three months after receiving IMBRUVICA, to avoid becoming pregnant while being treated with IMBRUVICA.
Tell your doctor immediately if you become
pregnant.
Do not breast-feed while you are taking this
medicine.
Driving and using machines
You may feel tired or dizzy after taking IMBRUVICA, which may affect your ability to drive or use any tools or machines.
IMBRUVICA contains lactose
IMBRUVICA contains lactose (a type of sugar). If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
IMBRUVICA contains sodium
IMBRUVICA contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3 How to take IMBRUVICA
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor, pharmacist or nurse has told you. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are not sure.
How much to take
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
The recommended dose of IMBRUVICA is 560 mg once a day.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)/ Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia (WM)
The recommended dose of IMBRUVICA is 420 mg once a day.
Your doctor may adjust your dose.
Taking this medicine
Take the tablets orally (by mouth) with
a glass of water.
Take the tablets about the same time each
day.
Swallow the tablets whole. Do not break or
chew them.
If you take more IMBRUVICA than you should
If you take more IMBRUVICA than you should, talk to a doctor or go to a hospital straight away. Take the tablets and this leaflet with you.
If you forget to take IMBRUVICA
If you miss a dose, it can be taken as soon as
possible on the same day with a return to the normal schedule the following day. ● Do not take a double dose to make up for a
forgotten dose.
If you are not sure, talk to your doctor,
pharmacist or nurse about when to take your next dose.
If you stop taking IMBRUVICA
Do not stop taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
4 Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects may happen with this medicine:
Stop taking IMBRUVICA and tell a doctor straight away if you notice any of the following side effects:
itchy bumpy rash, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat – you may be having an allergic reaction to the medicine.
Tell a doctor straight away if you notice any of the following side effects:
Patients treated with IMBRUVICA for B-cell malignancies:
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
fever, chills, body aches, feeling tired, cold or
flu symptoms, being short of breath – these could be signs of an infection (viral, bacterial or fungal).
These could include infections of the nose, sinus or throat (upper respiratory tract infection), or lung, or skin
blood in your stomach, gut, stools or
urine, heavier periods, or bleeding that you cannot stop from an injury
- bruising or increased tendency of bruising ● mouth sores
- feeling dizzy
- headache
- constipation
- feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) ● indigestion
diarrhoea, your doctor may need to give
you a fluid and salt replacement or another medicine
- skin rash
- painful arms or legs
- back pain or joint pain
- muscle cramps, aches or spasms ● fever
low number of cells that help blood clot
(platelets), very low number of white blood cells – shown in blood tests
an increase in the number or proportion of
white blood cells shown in blood tests ● swollen hands, ankles or feet
- high blood pressure
- increased level of “creatinine” in the blood.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) ● severe infections throughout the body
(sepsis)
- infections of the urinary tract
nose bleeds, small red or purple spots
caused by bleeding under the skin ● heart failure
missed heart beats, weak or uneven pulse,
lightheadedness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort (symptoms of heart rhythm problems)
low white blood cell counts with fever (febrile
neutropenia)
non-melanoma skin cancer, most frequently
squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer ● blurred vision
- redness of the skin
inflammation within the lungs that may lead to
permanent damage
- high level of “uric acid” in the blood (shown in blood tests), which may cause gout ● breaking of the nails
- hives
- sudden kidney damage
- weakness, numbness, tingling or pain in your hands or feet or other parts of the body (peripheral neuropathy).
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) ● liver failure, including events with fatal outcome
- severe fungal infections
- ‘reactivation’ of hepatitis B (if you had previously had hepatitis B, it may come back) ● bleeding on the surface of the brain ● confusion, headache with slurred speech or feeling faint – these could be signs of serious internal bleeding in your brain
- unusual levels of chemicals in the blood caused by the fast breakdown of cancer cells have happened during treatment of cancer and sometimes even without treatment (tumour lysis syndrome)
- allergic reaction, sometimes severe, that may include a swollen face, lip, mouth, tongue or throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing, itchy rash (hives)
- inflammation of the fatty tissue underneath the skin
- temporary episode of decreased brain or nerve function caused by loss of blood flow, stroke
- bleeding in the eye (in some cases associated with loss of vision)
- inflammation inside the eye that may affect vision (uveitis)
- cardiac arrest (heart stops beating) ● abnormally fast hearbeat
- painful skin ulceration (pyoderma gangrenosum) or red, raised painful patches on the skin, fever and an increase in white blood cells (these may be signs of acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis or Sweet’s syndrome)
- small, red bump on the skin that may bleed easily (pyogenic granuloma)
- inflamed blood vessels in the skin, which may lead to a rash (cutaneous vasculitis).
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) ● severely increased white blood cell count that may cause cells to clump together ● severe rash with blisters and peeling skin, particularly around the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).
Patients treated with IMBRUVICA for previously untreated MCL
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
low number of cells that help blood clot
(platelets), very low number of white blood cells – shown in blood tests
- low white blood cell counts with fever (febrile neutropenia)
- feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) ● diarrhoea, your doctor may need to give you a fluid and salt replacement or another medicine
- mouth sores
- constipation
- fever
- fever, chills, body aches, feeling tired, cold or flu symptoms, being short of breath – these could be signs of an infection (viral, bacterial or fungal). These could include infections of the lung, or skin
- increased level of “creatinine” in the blood ● painful arms or legs
- weakness, numbness, tingling or pain in your hands or feet or other parts of the body (peripheral neuropathy).
- headache
- sudden kidney damage
- skin rash
- blood in your stomach, gut, stools or urine, heavier periods, or bleeding that you cannot stop from an injury
- high blood pressure.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) ● increased white blood cell count
infections of the nose, sinus or throat (upper
respiratory tract infection)
missed heart beats, weak or uneven pulse,
lightheadedness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort (symptoms of heart rhythm problems)
- heart failure
- indigestion
- swollen hands, ankles or feet
inflammation within the lungs that may lead to
permanent damage
severe infections throughout the body
(sepsis)
- infections of the urinary tract
high level of “uric acid” in the blood (shown in
blood tests), which may cause gout ● unusual levels of chemicals in the blood
caused by the fast breakdown of cancer cells have happened during treatment of cancer and sometimes even without treatment (tumour lysis syndrome)
- muscle cramps, aches or spasms ● back pain or joint pain
non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal
cell skin cancer
- feeling dizzy
- redness of the skin
- breaking of the nails
- hives
bruising or increased tendency of bruising ● nose bleeds, small red or purple spots
caused by bleeding under the skin.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) ● blurred vision
- severe fungal infections
- bleeding in the eye
temporary episode of decreased brain or
nerve function caused by loss of blood flow, stroke
allergic reaction, sometimes severe, that may
include a swollen face, lip, mouth, tongue or throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing, itchy rash (hives)
inflamed blood vessels in the skin, which may
lead to a rash (cutaneous vasculitis) ● inflammation of the fatty tissue underneath
the skin.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5 How to store IMBRUVICA
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
If the medicine becomes discolored or shows any other signs of deterioration, you should seek the advice of your pharmacist who will tell you what to do.
6 Contents of the pack and other information
What IMBRUVICA contains
- The active substance is ibrutinib.
IMBRUVICA 560 mg film-coated tablets:
Each tablet contains 560 mg of ibrutinib. ● The other ingredients are:
Tablet core: colloidal anhydrous
silica, croscarmellose sodium, lactose
monohydrate (see section 2 “IMBRUVICA contains lactose”), magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium lauril sulfate (E487).
- Tablet film-coat: polyvinyl alcohol, macrogol, talc, titanium dioxide (E171); IMBRUVICA 560 mg film-coated tablets also contain red iron oxide (E172) and yellow iron oxide (E172).
What IMBRUVICA looks like and contents of the pack
IMBRUVICA 560 mg film-coated tablets Yellow to orange oblong tablets (19 mm in length and 8.1 mm in width), written with “ibr” on one side and “560” on the other side. Each 28 day carton contains 28 film-coated tablets in 2 cardboard wallets of 14 film-coated tablets each
Manufacturer
Janssen-Cilag SpA
Via C. Janssen,
Loc. Borgo S. Michele,
04100 Latina,
Italy
Procured from within the EU and repackaged for the PL Holder:
Abacus Medicine Ltd., Abbey House, 282 Farnborough Road, Farnborough, GU14 7NA, United Kingdom
PL 45763/0019
POM
IMBRUVICA® is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson
For any information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Product Licence Holder: Abacus Medicine Ltd., tel: +44(0)2036301244, email: MedInfo@ abacusmedicine.co.uk
or drugsafetyuk@abacusmedicine.co.uk
This leaflet was last revised on 08/01/2026.
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