What is ITP?
When you have ITP, the immune system is out of balance in more ways than one
ITP is a rare autoimmune disorder in which your body mistakenly attacks its own platelets.
ITP can occur in both children and adults and may be either acute (less than 3 months), persistent (3 to 12 months), or chronic (lasting for more than 12 months). Chronic ITP often requires ongoing management to maintain platelet levels and minimize symptoms.
Platelets are vital blood cells that help your blood clot. When platelets are destroyed or reduced, it leads to a lower-than-normal platelet count, raising the risk of bleeding.
Bleeding symptoms of ITP include:
Easy bruising or bruises without a clear cause
Red or purple pinpoint spots on arms and legs (petechiae)
Frequent or prolonged bleeding (like nose bleeds, heavy periods in women, and bleeding gums)
How Platelets Work and Why They Matter
Platelets play a crucial role in helping your blood clot when you’re injured.
A typical platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000.
In people with ITP, platelet counts can fall well below that, sometimes dropping under 100,000.
Treatment goals for ITP often focus on keeping platelet counts high enough to help lower the risk of serious bleeding.
Depending on your situation and bleeding risk, that might mean aiming for counts above 30,000 or 50,000. The International Working Group (IWG), a group of expert clinicians who convene to define standard terminology and definitions for primary ITP, recommends setting platelet goals that lower bleeding risk while taking each person's unique needs into account.
WAYRILZ is a prescription medicine that is used to treat adults with persistent or chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who received a prior treatment that did not work well enough.
It is not known if WAYRILZ is safe and effective in children.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking WAYRILZ?
Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have liver problems
- have kidney problems
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. WAYRILZ may harm your unborn baby. If you are able to have a baby, your healthcare provider will do a pregnancy test before starting treatment with WAYRILZ. Females who are able to become pregnant should use an effective birth control during treatment with WAYRILZ and for 1 week after the last dose.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed during treatment with WAYRILZ and for at least 1 week after the last dose.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over‑the‑counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking WAYRILZ with certain other medicines may affect how WAYRILZ works and can cause side effects. WAYRILZ may also affect how other medicines work.
What should I avoid while taking WAYRILZ?
You should avoid grapefruit, starfruit and products that have these fruits, and Seville oranges (often used in marmalades) during treatment with WAYRILZ. These products may increase the amount of WAYRILZ in your blood, which increases the risk of side effects of WAYRILZ.
What are the possible side effects of WAYRILZ?
WAYRILZ may cause serious side effects, including:
- Serious infections. WAYRILZ can increase the risk of infections, including serious infections that can lead to death. Your healthcare provider will check you for signs and symptoms of infection during your treatment with WAYRILZ. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any signs or symptoms of infection, including fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms.
- Liver problems including Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI). Liver problems, which may be severe, life-threatening, or lead to death have happened in people treated with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your liver before and as necessary during treatment with WAYRILZ. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any signs or symptoms of liver problems, including stomach-area (abdominal) pain or discomfort, dark or “tea-colored” urine, or yellowing of the skin or the white part of your eyes.
The most common side effects of WAYRILZ include diarrhea, nausea, headache, stomach area (abdominal) pain, and COVID-19.
These are not all of the possible side effects of WAYRILZ.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.
