Bicalutamide (Bicalutamidum) 50-150 mg. Price, instructions for use, reviews

Bicalutamide - it is an antineoplastic agent, which is produced by the Russian pharmaceutical company Ozone LLC. This drug is available in a therapeutic dosage of 50 and 150 mg, depending on the individual needs of each patient. Bicalutamide is part of the pharmacological group of antiandrogenic medicines that counteract cancer cells of malignant tumors. The price of a domestically produced anticancer agent depends on its therapeutic dosage.

Release form

The drug Bicalutamide is produced in the form of round white tablets with a mass fraction of the active substance of 50 and 150 mg. Packing of the medication is carried out in polymer blisters of 10 or 30 tablets, as well as in plastic jars of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 100 tablets. The main packaging of the anticancer agent is a cardboard box complete with the manufacturer's instructions.

Chemical composition

Bicalutamide contains the active antiandrogenic substance bicalutamide in a dosage of 50 or 150 mg per 1 tablet. The enteric film of this medication contains chemical components in the form titanium dioxide (2.7 mg), hypromellose (about 4.95 mg), as well as macrogol - 4000 (at a concentration 1.35 mg). The price of an anticancer agent depends on the dosage of the main substance.

The drug Bicalutamide also contains the following auxiliary components:

• microcrystalline cellulose in the amount of 30, 9 mg;
• lactose (milk sugar) at a concentration of 88.5 mg;
• magnesium stearate in the range of 2.1 mg;
• povidone at a dosage of 12 mg.

The function of the universal solvent of the constituent substances of the drug Bicalutamide is performed by water in the amount of 4.5 mg per 1 tablet. The auxiliary components of this agent ensure the preservation of the therapeutic properties of the antitumor bicalutamide.

Pharmacological properties

Bicalutamide 150 mg (the price of the medication does not exceed the cost of other drugs with antitumor activity) - is a systemic drug that has the following pharmacological properties:

• suppresses the physiological activity of male sex hormones;
• does not interact with other organs of the endocrine system of the human body;
• binds to receptors that are responsible for recognizing the molecular structure of androgens;
• does not have steroid activity, which minimizes the risk of developing a large number of side effects and complications;
• helps to reduce the volume of tumor neoplasms, whose cells are sensitive to androgens.

The pharmacological properties of the drug Bicalutamide are manifested only in the case of its course of administration for a certain period of time established by the attending physician. This medication is not designed for symptomatic therapy.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

Bicalutamide is a non-steroidal antiandrogenic agent. After entering the patient's body, the active substance of this drug is rapidly absorbed into the intestinal walls, saturates the general blood flow, and then penetrates into the tissues of the prostate gland. Pharmacodynamics Bicalutamide is characterized by active interaction with endocrine receptors, which are responsible for the identification of male sex hormones. In this case, their sensitivity to androgens is blocked.

The implementation of a positive therapeutic effect is possible only in those clinical situations when growth cells of malignant neoplasm is maintained due to their sensitivity to male genital hormones. Blocked receptors stop interacting with androgens in the patient's blood.

In this regard, the cells of a cancerous tumor are not fed with hormonal substances. This leads to a gradual decrease in the volume of a malignant neoplasm until its complete disappearance. A distinctive feature of the pharmacodynamics of the drug Bicalutamide is that its active substance does not disrupt the work of other glands of the endocrine system.

The pharmacokinetics of the antitumor agent Bicalutamide is characterized by a rapid process of absorption of the active substance of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract. The level of biological activity of this medication in the blood plasma does not depend on the patient's diet. Bicalutamide tablets can be taken before, during or after a meal with a sufficient amount of regular, gas-free drinking water. The binding of the active substance bicalutamide to blood plasma proteins is at the level of 96%, which is a fairly high indicator.

The metabolism of the active ingredient of the drug Bicalutamide occurs in the liver tissues. Biochemical degradation of the antitumor substance includes an oxidation process with the further formation of complex glucuronide conjugates. The excretion of metabolic products of Bicalutamide is carried out through the kidneys and intestines. Together with urine and feces, an equal amount of biochemical substances formed in the patient's body after the oxidation of bicalutamide in the liver tissues is removed.

In conditions of prolonged treatment with this drug, the development of the effect of the accumulation of its active component is possible. The target organ is tumor tissue receptors, which are localized in the patient's prostate gland.

Indications for use

Bicalutamide 150 mg (the price of the drug is affordable for most patients undergoing treatment for oncology) is antiandrogenic drug, which is used as the main or auxiliary medication throughout the course of antitumor therapy.

Bicalutamide is indicated for use in the treatment of prostate cancer in men of all age groups. The greatest effectiveness of this agent is manifested in the case of its combined use with an analogue of GnRH. Bicalutamide tablets are prescribed to patients with prostate cancer who have undergone surgical castration.

Contraindications

Antiandrogen Bicalutamide at a dosage of 50 or 150 mg is contraindicated for therapeutic use in the following cases:

• the patient is under the age of 18;
• the patient has been diagnosed with individual sensitivity of the body to the constituent components of the tablets (the occurrence of local or acute allergic reaction, which manifests itself after taking the next therapeutic dose of an antitumor funds);
• simultaneous treatment with drugs Terfenadine, Cisapride, and Astemizole.

The drug Bicalutamide is not prescribed to female patients. This medication is used with extreme caution to treat patients who have concomitant liver disease. Patients in this category must undergo a comprehensive diagnosis of the performance of this organ at least once every 30 days. If pathological changes in the structure of liver tissue are detected, further administration of the drug Bicalutamide is discontinued. Otherwise, an aggravation of concomitant diseases of the digestive system is possible.

At what age can the drug be used?

The drug Bicalutamide is approved for use only in patients who are over 18 years old. This tool is not designed for the antitumor therapy of young patients. Elderly patients with normal liver and kidney function do not need a specific dosing regimen.

Instructions for use, dosage

Bicalutamide 150 mg (the price of antiandrogen may vary depending on the general situation on the pharmaceutical market) is a drug for the treatment of malignant pathology of the prostate gland, the dosage of which is selected individually for each patient.

The calculation of therapeutic doses and the duration of the course of treatment is determined by the oncologist. The manufacturer of the drug Bicalutamide does not establish a standard therapeutic protocol for patients with prostate cancer. During the development of a treatment regimen with this medication, the doctor must take into account the size of the tumor, age the patient, the stage of the malignant neoplasm, the general condition of the patient and the results of the latter analyzes.

Side effects

Most of the side effects of the drug Bicalutamide are associated with the effect of its active substance on the body's receptors that are sensitive to androgens.

Men who take this medication during a continuous therapeutic course may experience the following symptoms:

• a significant decrease in sex drive;
• yellowing of certain areas of the skin and the whites of the eyes, which indicates a pathological condition of the liver tissues;
• cramping pains inside the abdominal cavity;
• painful sensations that arise during palpation of the mammary glands (the appearance of this symptom develops against the background of a change in the balance of male and female sex hormones);
• loss of scalp (this side effect is completely reversible);
• nausea and vomiting;
• stagnation of bile;
• diarrhea;
• decreased appetite;
• an increase in the volume of the mammary glands (gynecomastia);
• complete indifference to the surrounding world and the events that take place in it;
• a state of depression;
• increased dryness of the skin (active peeling of epithelial tissues is not excluded);
• feeling of heat in a room where a comfortable air temperature is maintained;
• hematuria;
• an increase in transaminase indices, which indicates a painful condition of the liver tissues;
• itching of the skin, aggravated after taking the next therapeutic dose of the medication.

  

Depending on the level of individual sensitivity of the patient's body to the constituent components of the drug Bicalutamide, the manifestation of local allergic reactions in the form of a rash, urticaria, local edema. The occurrence of side effects is the basis for discontinuing therapy with this medication. Especially if the active substance of the anticancer agent negatively affects the liver's performance.

Overdose

In medical practice, there are no clinical cases of overdose with Bicalutamide. The manufacturer of this medication also did not conduct studies on the effect of critically high doses of the drug on the human body. Patients who have taken too much of the anticancer agent are admitted to an inpatient general therapy or toxicology unit. Patients with an overdose of Bicalutamide receive symptomatic treatment aimed at maintaining vital processes in the body.

Remains of tablets that were not absorbed in the digestive tract are removed from the digestive tract by gastric lavage. The use of hemodialysis in this case is not effective, since the active substance Bicalutamide forms strong molecular bonds with blood plasma proteins. The excretion of the antitumor agent occurs only after the completion of its oxidative reaction in the liver tissues. To reduce the toxic effect of Bicalutamide, it is possible to use sorbent preparations. Patients with signs of allergic reactions are prescribed antihistamine therapy.

special instructions

Throughout the entire period of treatment with Bicalutamide, the following special instructions from the manufacturer of this drug should be taken into account:

• it is necessary to carry out periodic diagnostics of the functional state of the liver tissue for timely prevention of pathological changes in their structure (medication damage to this organ is found in first 6 months from the beginning of the course therapy);
• patients who, in the course of Bicalutamide therapy, showed progression of the oncological process with a simultaneous increase in prostate-specific antigen, it is shown that further treatment with this medication is stopped (in this case, the oncologist should consider other more effective methods of combating cancer tumor);
• patients with prostate cancer who take anticoagulants from the coumarin group at the same time as the drug Bicalutamide, regularly take a blood test to determine the prothrombin time;
• each tablet of Bicalutamide contains at least 64.4 mg of lactose, which is important to remember for patients with an individual intolerance to milk sugar (in patients of this category, a disorder of the functions of the digestive systems);
• in men who received concomitant treatment with GnRH agonists, a decrease in the level of tolerance to glucose-containing compounds (in patients with diabetes mellitus, this effect can lead to a loss glycemic control);
• at the stage of clinical studies of the therapeutic properties of the drug Bicalutamide, some patients showed signs of photosensitivity (due to all these patients are advised to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, or to use special sunscreen creams);
• taking an antiandrogenic agent can lead to a change in the morphological characteristics of spermatozoa;
• patients who receive Bicalutamide therapy and continue to have an active sex life should use barrier contraception during treatment, as well as after 130 days after the completion of taking the pills (compliance with this instruction is necessary in order to prevent the fertilization of a female egg by germ cells with pathological morphology).

During treatment with Bicalutamide, signs of drowsiness, rapid fatigue, and decreased concentration are not excluded. In this regard, patients are advised to refrain from driving vehicles, mechanisms, complex technological equipment and performing work with increased danger.

Drug interactions

The active substance of the drug Bicalutamide exhibits the following drug interactions with medicines of other pharmacological groups:

• incompatible with the drug Cisapride, Terfenadine, and Astemizole;
• the simultaneous administration of Bicalutamide with calcium channel blockers and drugs based on cyclosporine can lead to side effects;
• Ketoconazole enhances the pharmacological properties of Bicalutamide, and also increases the concentration of its active substance in the composition plasma (for the same reason, there is a more frequent manifestation of side reactions of the body in response to antitumor therapy);
• Warfarin and other anticoagulants of the coumarin group compete with Bicalutamide for building molecular bonds with blood proteins.

At all stages of treatment with the anticancer agent Bicalutamide, it is necessary to refrain from concomitant use of antiarrhythmic and neuroleptic drugs. This is especially true for the medicines Methadone, Quinidine, Sotalol, Dofetilide.

Analogs

The table below lists medicines of domestic and foreign production, which are analogs of the drug Bicalutamide.

Name of the medication	Characteristics and cost of an antineoplastic agent
Calumid	Kalumid is a medicinal product manufactured by the Hungarian pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter OJSC. The form of release of the medication is tablets with a dosage of the active substance bicalutamide 50 mg. The average cost of an imported analog is from 1709 to 1802 rubles. for 30 tablets.
Androblock	Androblock is an Indian-made antiandrogen produced by the pharmaceutical company San Pharmaceuticals. The concentration of bicalutamide in 1 tablet is 50 mg. The price of this medication is 930 rubles. for 28 tablets.
Bicalutamide-Teva	Bicalutamide-Teva is an analogue antineoplastic drug produced by the Israeli company Pharmaceutical Enterprises Ltd. The dosage of the drug from this manufacturer is 50 mg, and the cost is from 552 to 650 rubles. for 28 tablets.
Bicalutamide-Canon	Bicalutamide-Canon is a drug based on bicalutamide at a dosage of 50 and 150 mg. This medication is a domestic analogue, which is produced by the enterprise CJSC "Kanonfarma Production". The average cost of this drug is from 714 rubles. for tablets of 30 mg and from 1269 rubles. for a dosage of 150 mg.

The above anticancer medicines should be prescribed exclusively by an oncologist or urologist after a man undergoes a comprehensive examination of the genitourinary system.

Terms, conditions of sale and storage

To buy the drug Bicalutamide, you will need to present a prescription from your doctor. The shelf life of this medication is 5 years, after which the anticancer tablets must be disposed of. The medicinal product should be kept away from direct sunlight in a cool room, where the air temperature does not exceed +30 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the loss of the pharmacological properties of the drug Bicalutamide is possible.

Price

The average cost of the domestic drug Bicalutamide, which is produced in a dosage of 150 mg, is from 1507 rubles. per pack of 30 tablets. A similar amount of medication, but with an active substance concentration of 50 mg, will cost the buyer 403 rubles.

Bicalutamide 50 and 150 mg is an antineoplastic agent that is used for the complex treatment of prostate cancer in men of different age groups. The principle of action of this medication is to block the sensitivity of the receptors responsible for the identification of androgens.

Regular intake of the drug Bicalutamide allows you to reduce the size of a malignant tumor, to achieve a gradual restoration of the affected tissues. The advantage of therapy with this remedy lies in its low price, good therapeutic effect, which allows you to prevent metastasis of the degenerated cells to the adjacent organs of the male urogenital systems.

Video about the drug Bicalutamide

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