Lomitapide for Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia is a rare genetic disorder in which the individual is unable to remove LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) from their blood

Lomitapide (Juxtapid) capsules are a prescription medicine used along with diet and other low-density lipoproteins (LDL) lowering medicines in adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) to reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from the blood.

• Before you start Lomitapide, your healthcare provider would do blood tests to check your liver because Lomitapide can cause liver problems (such as increased liver enzymes or increased fat in the liver). If your tests show signs of liver problems, your doctor may stop the treatment or lower your dose of Lomitapide.

• You should tell your doctor if you have or have had liver problems in the past. Including liver problems when taking other medicines or treatments.

• Stomach problems are another symptom of liver problems. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have vomiting or stomach pain that gets worse, does not go away, or changes; nausea; fever; yellowing of your eyes or skin; feeling more tired; or having flu-like symptoms while taking Lomitapide.

• Do not drink alcohol (more than 1 drink per day) while taking Lomitapide.

• Do not take Lomitapide if you are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.

• Females who are able to become pregnant: You should do a pregnancy test to see if you are pregnant before starting Lomitapide and you should use effective birth control during treatment with Lomitapide. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think that you are pregnant during treatment with Lomitapide.

• You should also tell your healthcare provider about all the prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you’re planning to take.

• The most common side effects are stomach problems including cramps/pain, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and/or gas. Following a proper eating plan (consisting of less than 20% of calories from fat) may be able to reduce your chance of stomach problems.

• Stop taking Lomitapide if you have severe diarrhea, lightheadedness, tiredness, or decreased urine output.

• Are taking medications like moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (certain medications used to treat viral infections, bacterial, or fungal, as well as medications for high blood pressure, depression, or angina).

• Have moderate to severe liver problems (including abnormal liver function tests, or active liver disease).

• Take Lomitapide capsules by mouth, with a glass of water
• Take Lomitapide on an empty stomach (at least 2 hours after dinner or evening snack)
• Store Juxtapid at room temperature and keep in a tightly closed container
• Maintain a low-fat eating plan
• Don’t take Lomitapide with food
• Don’t drink alcohol (more than 1 drink per day)
• Don’t drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit

• Lomitapide makes it harder for some nutrients, such as vitamin E and fatty acids, to get into your body. So, make sure to take supplements that contain vitamins like Vitamin E and fatty acids each day while you take Lomitapide.