Does Brukinsa cause hair loss?

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jamie Winn
Aug 8, 2023

Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) is a brand-name prescription drug that is manufactured by BeiGene USA, Inc. It is an FDA-approved treatment option for adults with certain cancers that affect B lymphocytes or B cells. Brukinsa is an oral medication that is taken once or twice daily. The most common side effects seen with Brukinsa were increased blood sugars, low white and red blood cell counts, upper respiratory infections, bleeding, as well as several others. Since Brukinsa is a targeted type of therapy and not traditional chemotherapy, hair loss is not a side effect of this medication. It was not seen during clinical trials and has not been reported since it was brought on the market.

Read on as we discuss how Brukinsa works, additional side effects, precautions, and other important information you need to know.

Brukinsa FAQs

What is Brukinsa approved for?

Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) is FDA-approved to treat adults with:

Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a type of cancer affecting the lymph nodes, who have received at least one prior therapy such as rituximab, bendamustine, or cyclophosphamide
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a blood cancer that typically starts in your bone marrow or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)
Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) for people whose cancer returned or they did not respond well to other cancer drugs

How does Brukinsa work?

Your body makes a protein called Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) that signals B cells, including cancerous cells, to grow and spread. These abnormal cells can cause the symptoms of the disease, including fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, and weakness. Zanubrutinib, which is the active ingredient in Brukinsa, is a specific type of kinase inhibitor called a BTK inhibitor. By blocking BTK, Brukinsa stops the growth of cancer cells and causes the death of cancerous B cells.

What are the possible side effects of Brukinsa?

The most common side effects of Brukinsa from clinical trials include:

Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels)
Decreased white blood cell counts
Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
Decreased platelet count
Muscle or joint pain
Upper respiratory tract infection
Bruising and general bleeding
Rash
Tiredness
Increased liver enzymes
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Constipation
Nausea

Brukinsa can rarely cause serious side effects such as:

Severe, life-threatening allergic reactions (swelling of your tongue or throat, hives, and trouble breathing)
Serious, and sometimes fatal bleeding
Serious infections and reactivation of the hepatitis B virus (HBV)
Decreased liver function
Increased risk of other cancers
Irregular heartbeat

These are not all of the possible side effects of Brukinsa. You should always seek medical advice from your healthcare professional for any questions or concerns about your medical condition or treatment. You can report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Are there any drug interactions with Brukinsa?

When Brukinsa is taken along with other drugs, it can change how Brukinsa works or make some side effects more likely or severe. You should ask your healthcare provider if any of the prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, supplements, or vitamins you take may interact with Brukinsa, including:

Clarithromycin
Erythromycin
Rifampin
Fluconazole
Ketoconazole
Voriconazole
Ritonavir
Indinavir
Phenytoin
Carbamazepine
Phenobarbital
Verapamil
Diltiazem

What should you tell your doctor before starting Brukinsa?

Before starting Brukinsa, be sure your healthcare provider is aware of all your medical conditions, including:

Liver problems
Heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and ventricular arrhythmias)
High blood pressure
Are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant as Brukinsa may harm your unborn baby
Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed as it is not recommended while using Brukinsa

How long do you take Brukinsa?

Brukinsa can be taken long-term as long as you are tolerating it. Your healthcare provider will determine how long you are on this medication. The recommended dose of Brukinsa is 320 mg once daily or 160 mg twice daily. It can be taken with or without food. You will typically stay on Brukinsa until your disease worsens or if you have side effects you cannot tolerate.

What are the skin side effects of Brukinsa?

Brukinsa can cause several side effects that may affect your skin. Rash was seen in up to 36% of people taking Brukinsa. The most common form was an acne-like rash with papules or pustules. Papules are solid, inflamed bumps in your skin that do not have a tip filled with yellow or white pus. Pustules have a yellow or white pus-filled tip. Some other minor adverse skin reactions include bruising, blistering, petechiae (pinpoint, round spots on the skin caused by bleeding), and skin infections.

A serious side effect of Brukinsa is the development of skin cancers. The most frequent of these was nonmelanoma skin cancer, reported in 7% of patients. You should use sunscreen or other sun protection to help reduce this risk.

Other cancers were seen during clinical trials such as malignant solid tumors (5%), melanoma (1.2%), and other blood cancers (0.5%).

What other precautions are there with Brukinsa?

Serious and sometimes fatal bleeding, including hemorrhage, was seen with Brukinsa. Notify your doctor immediately if you have symptoms such as blood or black stools, bleeding that won’t stop, bloody urine, confusion, and vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

You may develop serious infections while taking Brukinsa. Tell your doctor if notice signs of an infection such as cough, fever, chills, and sore throat.

Your doctor may perform blood tests to monitor your blood counts while on Brukinsa as it can affect their levels.

If you notice signs of an abnormal heart rhythm such as fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart, chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting, notify your doctor immediately.

Brukinsa may cause harm to your unborn baby. If you are able to become pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test before your start taking Brukinsa. Females should use effective birth control to avoid pregnancy while taking Brukinsa and for 1 week after their last dose of Brukinsa. Males should use effective birth control to avoid getting their female partners pregnant while taking Brukinsa and for 1 week after their last dose of Brukinsa.