Cancer drugs A to Z list
Vorasidenib is a type of targeted cancer drug called a . You pronounce it as vor-ah-sid-ee-nib.
It’s a treatment for some types of brain tumours called astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma. You might have it if:
you are 12 years or older
your cancer is 2 – this is also called a low grade cancer
you have had surgery and do not need to start chemotherapy or radiotherapy straight away
your cancer has a isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 or IDH2 gene change ()
You have tests on your cancer cells before you have treatment to check for this gene change.
Vorasidenib works by targeting certain proteins made by a changed isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 or IDH2 gene. These proteins help cancer cells to grow. Vorasidenib blocks these proteins. This stops or slows down the growth of the cancer.
Find out more about how cancer growth blockers work
Vorasidenib comes as tablets. You take them on an empty stomach. This means you must not eat anything for:
2 hours before taking it
1 hour after taking it
You swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. You shouldn’t crush, chew or split them.
Speak to your pharmacist if you have problems swallowing the tablets.
Whether you have a full or an empty stomach can affect how much of a drug gets into your bloodstream.
You should take the right dose, no more or less.
Talk to your healthcare team before you stop taking a cancer drug or if you miss a dose.
You take vorasidenib once a day, every day. You take it for as long as the treatment is working, and you are not experiencing too many side effects.
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
Before treatment starts you may have a blood test to check for viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. This is called a viral screen.
It’s important for your doctor to know if you have had any of these viruses. This is because this treatment can weaken your and can cause the virus to become active again (reactivation).
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatment you are having.
Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you closely during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects, but you might have some of them at the same time.
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
This is due to a drop in the number of platelets in your blood. These blood cells help the blood to clot when we cut ourselves. You may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or you may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs. This is known as petechiae.
Contact your advice line if you have this. Depending on what is causing the pain, they might give you medicine to help.
Contact your advice line if you have diarrhoea. For example, in one day you have 2 or more loose bowel movements than usual. If you have a , you might have more output than normal. Your doctor may give you anti diarrhoea medicine to take home with you after treatment.
Try to eat small meals and snacks regularly. It’s best to try to have a healthy balanced diet if you can. You don’t necessarily need to stop eating foods that contain . But if your diet is normally very high in fibre, it might help to cut back on high fibre foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bran and raw vegetables.
Drink plenty to try and replace the fluid lost. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses per day.
You might have liver changes that are picked up on blood tests.
Symptoms of liver problems might include yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), a high temperature, feeling or being sick, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, itchy skin, dark pee or muscle and joint pain.
You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your liver works. Let your healthcare team know if you have any symptoms.
You might feel very tired and as though you lack energy.
Various things can help you to reduce tiredness and cope with it, for example exercise. Some research has shown that taking gentle exercise can give you more energy. It is important to balance exercise with resting.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
high blood sugar levels - symptoms can include headaches, feeling thirsty and blurred vision. You usually have regular tests to check your blood sugar levels. You may need to check your levels more often if you have
loss of appetite
low levels of a mineral called phosphate in the blood. This can cause weakness in your muscles and feeling confused. Let your team know if you have either of these symptoms
This is a new drug in cancer treatment. So there is limited information available at the moment about possible rare and longer term effects that it may cause. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is not normal for you.
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We are unable to list all the possible interactions that may happen. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
Tell your healthcare team if you smoke tobacco. This is because smoking tobacco can lower the level of vorasidenib in the blood.
You may not be able to become pregnant or get someone pregnant after treatment with this drug. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
Men might be able to store sperm before starting treatment. And women might be able to store eggs or ovarian tissue. But these services are not available in every hospital, so you would need to ask your doctor about this.
This treatment might harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you're having treatment and for at least 3 months afterwards.
Vorasidenib may stop the contraceptive pill, injection, patches or implant working properly. If you are using one of these, you should also use a barrier method of contraception like condoms or a diaphragm during sex during treatment and for at least 3 months afterwards.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner become pregnant while having treatment.
It is not known whether this drug comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this treatment and for 2 months afterwards.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
Don’t have immunisations with live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. The length of time depends on the treatment you are having.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, BCG, and yellow fever.
You can usually have:
other vaccines, but they might not give you as much protection as usual
the flu vaccine (as an injection)
the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time to have a vaccine in relation to your cancer treatment.
You can be in contact with other people who have had live vaccines as injections. If someone has had a live vaccine by mouth or nasal spray there may be a small risk the vaccine virus can be passed onto you if your is weakened.
Your healthcare team will let you know if you need to take any precautions if you are in close contact with someone who has had a live vaccine.
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 05 May 2026
Next review due: 05 May 2029
Astrocytomas are the most common type of brain tumours. They belong to a group of brain tumours called gliomas.
Oligodendrogliomas are a rare type of brain tumour. They are more common in adults than in children.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
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