Rezurock (belumosudil) is a prescription drug used to treat chronic (long-term) graft-versus-host disease that hasn’t responded to certain other treatments. It’s used in adults and some children. Rezurock comes as an oral tablet.

Rezurock basics

Rezurock contains the active ingredient belumosudil. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) The drug comes as an oral tablet.

Rezurock belongs to a group of drugs called kinase inhibitors. Rezurock is a brand-name medication that isn’t available as a generic drug.

Like most drugs, Rezurock may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Rezurock may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

  • your age
  • other health conditions you have
  • other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Rezurock. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Rezurock can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Rezurock’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Rezurock that have been reported include:

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Rezurock can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Rezurock, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Rezurock that have been reported include:

  • serious infection, including pneumonia and shingles
  • serious bleeding
  • high or low blood pressure
  • kidney failure
  • abnormal liver function tests, which can be a sign of liver damage
  • severely low level of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell)
  • severely low level of platelets (cells that help with blood clotting)
  • severe allergic reaction*

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Rezurock. Skin rash was somewhat common in Rezurock’s clinical studies, but it isn’t clear whether severe allergic reactions occurred.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Rezurock. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering Rezurock. What you’ll pay for Rezurock may depend on several things, such as your treatment plan and the pharmacy you use.

Rezurock is only available at certain specialty pharmacies.* You may not be able to pick up your prescription from your local pharmacy. Talk with your pharmacist, doctor, or insurance provider to learn more about how you’ll receive your Rezurock prescription.

Here are a few things to consider regarding cost:

  • Cost information and savings coupons: You can visit Optum Perks† to get price estimates of what you’d pay for Rezurock when using coupons from the site.
  • Savings program: If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A program called Kadmon ASSIST may also be available.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

* A specialty pharmacy is authorized to carry specialty drugs. These are drugs that may be costly or require help from healthcare professionals to be taken safely and effectively.
† Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline. Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

Rezurock is used in adults and in children ages 12 years and older to treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). It can be used for GVHD that:

  • is chronic (long term), and
  • did not respond to at least two systemic (whole-body) treatments

Chronic GVHD is a condition that can occur between 3 months and 1 year after a stem cell transplant. (With a stem cell transplant, healthy stem cells are injected into your body to replace damaged or sick stem cells in your blood or bone marrow.)

GVHD occurs when transplanted stem cells attack healthy cells in your body and cause your immune system to become overactivated. This can lead to mild or severe symptoms and affect different parts of your body.

Rezurock works to treat chronic GVHD by balancing activity in your immune system. This lower inflammation (swelling or damage) and treats other symptoms caused by GVHD.

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Rezurock.

Is Rezurock an immunosuppressant?

No, Rezurock isn’t an immunosuppressant. It’s a type of drug called a kinase inhibitor.

Rezurock is prescribed to treat chronic (long-term) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This is a rare but serious condition that can occur after receiving a stem cell transplant. (A stem cell transplant is a procedure that’s usually done after certain cancer treatments.)

Rezurock is used when chronic GVHD hasn’t responded to treatment with at least two systemic (whole-body) treatments. Examples of these treatments include immunosuppressant drugs, such as tacrolimus (Astagraf XL, Envarsus XR, Prograf) and sirolimus (Rapamune).

Immunosuppressants decrease activity in your immune system. On the other hand, Rezurock helps balance activity in your immune system, which helps treat chronic GVHD.

To learn more about chronic GVHD and how Rezurock works, see the “What is Rezurock used for?” section above. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more.

Can Rezurock cause long-term side effects?

Yes. Although rare, a few long-term side effects were reported in Rezurock’s studies.

These include:

  • kidney failure
  • abnormal results of liver function tests, which can be a sign of liver damage

If you experience kidney failure or liver damage with Rezurock, the condition may not be reversible even if you stop taking the drug.

To learn more about possible long-term side effects from taking Rezurock, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Is it safe for older adults to take Rezurock?

Yes, Rezurock is generally safe for older adults (ages 65 years and older) to take.

In the drug’s studies, no differences in safety or effectiveness were noted between older and younger adults.

However, older adults are more likely to have kidney or liver problems than younger adults. And having a kidney or liver problem could affect whether Rezurock is safe for you to take. For example, in rare cases, Rezurock can cause kidney or liver problems, including kidney failure.

You may have a higher risk for these side effects if you have an existing kidney or liver problem, which is more common in older adults.

To learn more about whether Rezurock is safe for you to take, talk with your doctor.

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Rezurock that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.

Form and strength

Rezurock comes as an oral tablet. It’s available in one strength of 200 milligrams (mg).

Recommended dosage

For treating chronic graft-versus-host disease, you’ll take one 200-mg dose of Rezurock once daily.

To learn more about Rezurock’s dosage, see this article.

Questions about taking Rezurock

Below are some common questions about taking Rezurock.

  • Can Rezurock be chewed, crushed, or split? No, you shouldn’t chew, crush, or split Rezurock tablets. The tablets must be swallowed whole. If you have trouble swallowing pills, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
  • Should I take Rezurock with food? Yes, you should take Rezurock with a high calorie meal, such as lunch or dinner.
  • Is there a best time of day to take Rezurock? There’s no one best time of day to take Rezurock. But you should take your dose around the same time each day. This helps keep a steady level of the drug in your body, which helps Rezurock work effectively.
  • What if I miss a dose of Rezurock? If you miss a dose of Rezurock, take the missed dose on the same day as soon as you remember. But if it’s the day after the missed dose, just skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at its regular time. You should not take more than one dose of Rezurock at once to make up for a missed dose.
  • Will I need to use Rezurock long term? Yes, you’ll likely take Rezurock long term if you and your doctor agree that the drug is safe and working well for you.

Overdose

Do not take more Rezurock than your doctor prescribes. For many drugs, doing so may lead to serious side effects.

What to do in case you take too much Rezurock

Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Rezurock. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers or use its online resource. But if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room.

Below is important information you should consider before taking Rezurock.

Interactions

Taking a drug with certain medications, vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the drug works. These effects are called interactions.

Rezurock can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods.

Before taking Rezurock, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

Drug interactions

Below is a list of medications that can interact with Rezurock. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Rezurock. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Drug group or drug nameDrug examples
proton pump inhibitors• omeprazole (Prilosec OTC)
• esomeprazole (Nexium)
drugs that speed up the activity of the CYP3A4 enzyme* • carbamazepine (Tegretol, others)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)

* This enzyme (protein) helps your body break down certain drugs.

Other interactions

Rezurock can also interact with other substances, such as:

  • Vitamins or supplements: The herb St. John’s wort can interact with Rezurock and make it less effective. Your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid taking St. John’s wort during your Rezurock treatment.
  • Alcohol: Rezurock is not known to interact with alcohol.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It may not be safe to take Rezurock during pregnancy. If you can become pregnant, your doctor will likely order a pregnancy test to ensure you’re not pregnant before prescribing the drug to you.

It’s recommended that you avoid breastfeeding while taking Rezurock and for at least 1 week after your last dose of the drug. If you’re currently breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor about your options.

Birth control

There are important considerations about birth control to consider before taking Rezurock.

If you’re a male* and have a sexual partner who can become pregnant, it’s important to use birth control (such as condoms) while taking Rezurock and for at least 1 week after your last dose.

If you’re sexually active and can become pregnant, it’s important to use birth control while taking Rezurock and for at least 1 week after your last dose.

* In this article, we use the term “male” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.

Warnings

Rezurock can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Rezurock is a good treatment option for you.

Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Rezurock. Be sure to tell them if any of the following factors apply to you:

Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. If you’d like to explore an alternative to Rezurock, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that might work well for you.

The following drugs are similar to Rezurock:

If you have questions about taking Rezurock, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Questions you may want to ask include:

  • How does Rezurock compare with other treatments for my condition?
  • If I can’t afford my prescription, what are my options?
  • How will you monitor whether Rezurock is working to treat my condition?
  • If I make changes to my diet or lifestyle while taking Rezurock, should I let you know?

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

Rezurock Images