When is the best time to take Avatrombopag?

Avatrombopag is an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-RA) indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) in patients with chronic liver disease who are scheduled to undergo medical or dental surgery. Under the guidance of a doctor, patients should take it orally (with food) once a day for 5 consecutive days. Treatment with avatropopag should be started 10 to 13 days before a scheduled medical or dental procedure.

After oral administration, avatrombopag is slowly absorbed by patients with a short lag time (0.5-0.75 hours). The time to reach maximum plasma concentration is 6-8 hours, and steady state is reached on day 5 of the multi-dose study. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) were not affected to a clinically important degree when avatrombopag was administered with high-fat or low-fat food; however, between- and within-subject differences in Cmax and AUC were reduced by approximately 50%, so administration of the drug with food is recommended. Doctors will prescribe a specific dose of avatropopag to patients based on their platelet count before surgery, which will occur 5 to 8 days after the last dose of avatropopag. Avatrombopag is not used to normalize platelet counts in adults with chronic liver disease.

The original drug of avatrombopag has been launched in China and has entered the scope of Class B medical insurance, but it is only reimbursed for eligible patients. The price of a common specification of 20mg*15 tablets may be more than 7,000 yuan per box, while the original drug of avatrombopag marketed overseas is even more expensive. It is understood that there are generic drugs of avatrombopag available overseas, and their pharmaceutical ingredients are basically the same as those of the original drug. For example, the price of a box of 20mg*30 tablets in Laos pharmaceutical production specifications may be around RMB 1,000 (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates).