Feburen 40 mg Tablet

Xanthine oxidase inhibitor for:

• Long-term lowering of uric acid in chronic gout (with urate deposits or recurrent attacks), especially when allopurinol is unsuitable
• Prevention of high uric acid during chemotherapy for blood cancers (tumour lysis — specialist)

Gout (adults): 40–80 mg once daily, with or without food; increase to 80 mg (up to 120 mg in some countries) if serum uric acid is still above 6 mg/dL after 2–4 weeks.

• Gout flare prevention: for the first 6 months, take colchicine (0.5 mg once or twice daily) or an NSAID as prophylaxis — flares are common when starting.
• Do not start during an acute attack; if a flare happens while taking it, continue febuxostat and treat the flare.

Tumour lysis prevention: 120 mg daily (specialist).

• Use with azathioprine or mercaptopurine
• Allergy to febuxostat
• Treatment of high uric acid without gout (asymptomatic hyperuricaemia)

Common: gout flares at the start, raised liver enzymes, diarrhoea, nausea, headache, rash, swelling.

Less common: dizziness, joint pain, high blood pressure, palpitations.

Rare but serious: cardiovascular death risk in people with established heart disease (higher than with allopurinol in one large study), severe skin reactions (DRESS, Stevens–Johnson), liver injury, thyroid changes, severe allergic reactions.

• Heart disease or history of heart attack/stroke: use only if allopurinol cannot be used; report chest pain, breathlessness, stroke symptoms.
• Check liver function before and during treatment.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Thyroid function may change.

Not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

• Azathioprine, mercaptopurine (contraindicated — severe bone marrow toxicity)
• Theophylline (levels may rise — caution)
• Didanosine (avoid)

Supportive care.

Store below 30°C.