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siklos

Siklos (Hydroxyurea) is a medication used to treat Brain Neoplasms, Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Hydroxyurea · by Theravia

Not yet rated· sourced from the FDA label
Rated against independent regulatory sources·Last updated June 7, 2026·How we rate
Verified againstopenFDANIH DailyMedRxClass

Key facts

Active ingredient
Hydroxyurea
Form
Tablet
Strength
Hydroxyurea 100MG · Hydroxyurea 1GM
Type
Prescription (Rx)
Brand or generic
Brand-name
Manufacturer
Theravia
Half-life
about 2 to 4 hours (how long it stays in your system)
What the pharmacy pays
~$5.86 for 30 — not your price
FDA application
NDA208843

What is Siklos?

From the FDA label:SIKLOS (hydroxyurea) is an antimetabolite that is available for oral use as functionally scored 100 mg film-coated tablet and functionally triple-scored 1,000 mg film-coated tablet containing 100 and 1,000 mg of hydroxyurea, respectively. Inactive ingredients include silicified microcrystalline cellulose, sodium stearyl fumarate, and film-coating agent amino methacrylate copolymer. Hydroxyurea is a white crystalline powder. It has a molecular weight of 76.05. Its structural formula is: Chemical Structure

How to use

Initial dose: 15 mg/kg in adults and 20 mg/kg in children once daily. Monitor blood counts every two weeks. ( 2.1 ) The dose may be increased by 5 mg/kg/day every 8 weeks, or sooner if a severe painful crisis occurs, until a maximum tolerated dose or 35 mg/kg/day is reached if blood counts are in an acceptable range. ( 2.1 ) Discontinue SIKLOS until hematologic recovery if blood counts are considered toxic. Resume treatment after reducing the dose by 5 mg/kg/day from the dose associated with hematological toxicity. ( 2.1 ) Renal impairment: Reduce the dose of SIKLOS by 50% in patients with creatinine clearance less than 60 mL/min. ( 2.2 , 8.6 , 12.3 ) 2.1 Recommended Dosing The recommended SIKLOS dosing is described in Table 1. Table 1: Dosing Recommendation Based on Blood Count Dosing Regimen Dose Dose Modification Criteria Monitoring Parameters Initial Recommended Dosing Adults: 15 mg/kg Pediatrics: 20 mg/kg once daily based on patient's actual or ideal weight, whichever is less. Monitor the patient's blood count every 2 weeks [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Dosing Adjustment Based on Blood Counts in an acceptable range Increase dose 5 mg/kg/day every 8 weeks or if a painful crisis occurs. Give until mild myelosuppression (absolute neutrophil count 2,000/uL to 4,000/uL) is achieved, up to a maximum of 35 mg/kg/day. Increase dosing only if blood counts are in an…

Side effects

The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Malignancies [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Vasculitic toxicities (including Leg Ulcers) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Risks with concomitant use of antiretroviral drugs [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Risk with concomitant use of live virus vaccine [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Macrocytosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Hemolytic Anemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] Most common adverse reactions to SIKLOS (incidence > 10%) include infections and neutropenia in children and infections and headache and dry skin in adults. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact the marketer Medunik at 1 844-884-5520 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety of SIKLOS has been assessed in 405 pediatric patients with sickle cell disease from 2-18 years of age and 1077 adults in the European Sickle Cell Disease prospective Cohort study ESCORT-HU. The most frequently reported adverse…

FDA Boxed Warning (the FDA’s most serious warning)

Boxed (black-box) warning — from the FDA label

MYELOSUPPRESSION and MALIGNANCIES WARNING: MYELOSUPPRESSION and MALIGNANCIES See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning . Myelosuppression : SIKLOS may cause severe myelosuppression. Do not give if bone marrow function is markedly depressed. Monitor blood counts at baseline and throughout treatment. Interrupt treatment and reduce dose as necessary. ( 5.1 ) Malignancies : Hydroxyurea is carcinogenic. Advise sun protection and monitor patients for malignancies. ( 5.2 ) Myelosuppression: SIKLOS may cause severe myelosuppression. Monitor blood counts at baseline and throughout treatment. Interrupt treatment and reduce dose as necessary [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Malignancies: Hydroxyurea is carcinogenic. Advise sun protection and monitor patients for malignancies [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] .

Warnings

Important safety information

Embryo-Fetal toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. Advise of potential risk to a fetus and use of effective contraception. ( 5.3 , 8.1 , 8.3 ) Cutaneous vasculitic toxicities (incl. leg ulcers): Institute treatment and discontinue SIKLOS and/or reduce dose if this occurs. ( 5.4 ) Risks with concomitant use of antiretroviral drugs: Pancreatitis, hepatotoxicity, and neuropathy have occurred. Monitor for signs and symptoms patients with HIV infection using antiretroviral drugs; discontinue SIKLOS, and implement treatment. ( 5.5 ) Concomitant use with live virus vaccine: increased risk of severe infections. ( 5.6 ) Hemolytic Anemia: Monitor blood counts throughout treatment. If hemolysis persists, discontinue SIKLOS. ( 5.9 ) 5.1 Myelosuppression Hydroxyurea causes severe myelosuppression. Do not initiate treatment with hydroxyurea in patients if bone marrow function is markedly depressed. Bone marrow suppression may occur, and leukopenia is generally its first and most common manifestation. Thrombocytopenia and anemia occur less often, and are seldom seen without a preceding leukopenia. Some patients, treated at the recommended initial dose of 15 mg/kg/day in adults or 20 mg/kg/day in children, have experienced severe or life-threatening myelosuppression. Due to the change in body weight requiring modification of daily dose, pediatric patients have an increased risk of myelosuppression at the time of dose adjustment. Evaluate hematologic status prior to and every two weeks during treatment with SIKLOS. Provide supportive care and modify dose or discontinue SIKLOS as needed. Recovery from myelosuppression is usually observed within 15 days when therapy is interrupted. Resume therapy after interruption at a lower dose [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) ] . 5.2 Malignancies Hydroxyurea is a human carcinogen. In patients receiving long-term hydroxyurea for myeloproliferative disorders (a condition for which Siklos is not approved), secondary leukemia has been reported. Leukemia secondary to long-term hydroxyurea has also been reported in patients with sickle cell disease. Leukemia has also been reported in patients with sickle cell disease and no prior history of treatment with hydroxyurea. Skin cancer has also been reported in patients receiving long-term hydroxyurea. Advise protection from sun exposure and monitor for the development of secondary malignancies. 5.3 Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on the mechanism of action and findings in animals, SIKLOS can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Hydroxyurea was embryotoxic and teratogenic in rats and rabbits at doses 0.8 times and 0.3 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human daily dose on a mg/m2 basis. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ] . Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during and after treatment with SIKLOS for at least 6 months after therapy. Advise males of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during and after treatment with SIKLOS for at least 6 months after therapy [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1 , 8.3) ] . 5.4 Vasculitic Toxicities (Including Leg Ulcers) Cutaneous vasculitic toxicities, including vasculitic ulcerations and gangrene, have occurred in patients with myeloproliferative disorders during therapy with hydroxyurea. These vasculitic toxicities were reported most often in patients with a history of, or currently receiving, interferon therapy. Due to potentially severe clinical outcomes for the cutaneous vasculitic ulcers reported in patients with myeloproliferative disease (a condition for which SIKLOS is not approved), treatment with SIKLOS should be discontinued and/or its dose reduced if cutaneous vasculitic ulcerations develop. Rarely, ulcers are caused by leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Avoid use of SIKLOS in patients with wounds on the legs (leg ulcers). 5.5 Risks with Concomitant Use of Antiretroviral Drugs Pancreatitis, hepatotoxicity, and peripheral neuropathy have occurred when hydroxyurea was administered concomitantly with antiretroviral drugs, including didanosine and stavudine [see Drug Interactions (7.1) ] . 5.6 Risks with Concomitant Use of Live Virus Vaccine Avoid use of live virus vaccine in patients taking SIKLOS. Concomitant use of hydroxyurea with a live virus vaccine may potentiate the replication of the vaccine virus and/or may increase the adverse reactions of the vaccine virus and result in severe infections [see Drug Interactions (7.2) ]. Patient's antibody response to vaccines may be decreased. Consider consultation with a specialist. 5.7 Macrocytosis SIKLOS may cause macrocytosis, which is self-limiting, and is often seen early in the course of treatment. The morphologic change resembles pernicious anemia, but is not related to vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency. This may mask the diagnosis of pernicious anemia. Prophylactic administration of folic acid is recommended. 5.8 Test Interference Interference with Uric Acid, Urea, or Lactic Acid Assays is possible, rendering falsely elevated results of these in patients treated with hydroxyurea [see Drug Interactions (7.3) ]. Hydroxyurea may falsely elevate sensor glucose results from certain continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and may lead to hypoglycemia if sensor glucose results are relied upon to dose insulin. If a patient using a CGM is to be prescribed hydroxyurea, consult with the CGM prescriber about alternative glucose monitoring methods. 5.9 Hemolytic Anemia Cases of hemolytic anemia in patients treated with hydroxyurea for myeloproliferative diseases have been reported [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Patients who develop acute jaundice or hematuria in the presence of persistent or worsening of anemia should have laboratory tests evaluated for hemolysis (e.g., measurement of serum lactate dehydrogenase, haptoglobin, reticulocyte, unconjugated bilirubin levels, urinalysis, and direct and indirect antiglobulin [Coombs] tests). In the setting of confirmed diagnosis of hemolytic anemia not related to the disease and in the absence of other causes, discontinue SIKLOS.

Who should not take Siklos

SIKLOS is contraindicated in: Patients who have demonstrated a previous hypersensitivity to hydroxyurea or any other component of its formulation [see Adverse Reactions (6) ]. Patients who have demonstrated a previous hypersensitivity to hydroxyurea or any other component of its formulation. ( 4 )

Overdose — what happens if you take too much

Acute mucocutaneous toxicity has been reported in patients receiving hydroxyurea at doses several times above the therapeutic dose. Soreness, violet erythema, oedema on palms and soles followed by scaling of hand and feet, severe generalized hyperpigmentation of the skin and stomatitis have been observed. In patients with sickle cell anemia, neutropenia was reported in isolated cases of hydroxyurea overdose (1.43 times and 8.57 times of the maximum recommended dose of 35 mg/kg b.w./day). Monitor blood counts weekly until recovery. Treatment of overdose consists of gastric lavage, followed by symptomatic treatment and control of bone marrow function.

U.S. Poison Control: call or text 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7). In an emergency call 911. From the FDA label; not medical advice.

Interactions

7.1 Increased Toxicity with Concomitant Use of Antiretroviral Drugs Pancreatitis Pancreatitis (including fatal cases) have occurred in patients with HIV infection during therapy with hydroxyurea and didanosine, with or without stavudine. Hydroxyurea is not indicated for the treatment of HIV infection; however, if patients with HIV infection are treated with hydroxyurea, and in particular, in combination with didanosine and/or stavudine, monitor closely for signs and symptoms of pancreatitis. Permanently discontinue therapy with hydroxyurea in patients who develop signs and symptoms of pancreatitis. Hepatotoxicity Hepatotoxicity and hepatic failure resulting in death have been reported during postmarketing surveillance in patients with HIV infection treated with hydroxyurea and other antiretroviral drugs. Fatal hepatic events were reported most often in patients treated with the combination of hydroxyurea, didanosine, and stavudine. Avoid this combination. Peripheral Neuropathy Peripheral neuropathy, which was severe in some cases, has been reported in patients with HIV infection receiving hydroxyurea in combination with antiretroviral drugs, including didanosine, with or without stavudine. 7.2 Concomitant Use of Live Virus Vaccine Concomitant use of SIKLOS with a live virus vaccine may potentiate the replication of the vaccine virus and/or may increase the adverse reactions of the vaccine virus, because normal defense mechanisms may be suppressed by SIKLOS therapy. Vaccination with a live vaccine in a patient taking SIKLOS may result in severe infections. Generally, the patient's antibody response to vaccines may be decreased. Treatment with SIKLOS and concomitant immunization with live virus vaccines should only be performed if benefits clearly outweigh potential risks. Consider consultation with a specialist. 7.3 Test Interference Interference with Uric Acid, Urea, or Lactic Acid Assays Studies have shown that there is an analytical interference of SIKLOS with the enzymes (urease, uricase, and lactate dehydrogenase) used in the determination of urea, uric acid, and lactic acid, rendering falsely elevated results of these in patients treated with SIKLOS. Interference with Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Hydroxyurea may falsely elevate sensor glucose results from certain continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and may lead to hypoglycemia if sensor glucose results are relied upon to dose insulin. If a patient using a CGM is to be prescribed hydroxyurea, consult with the CGM prescriber about alternative glucose monitoring methods.

How long does Hydroxyurea stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of hydroxyurea is about 2 to 4 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. The SIKLOS label states this under "Elimination" in §12.3 — it is the elimination half-life, and the label reports only this one phase (it does not break out a separate distribution/alpha phase). Hydroxyurea is not a prodrug, and the label names no active metabolite: up to 60% of an oral dose is cleared by saturable liver metabolism plus a minor breakdown route by urease from gut bacteria, with about 40% of the dose recovered in urine. Kidney impairment matters — exposure (mean AUC) was 64% higher in people with creatinine clearance under 60 mL/min and in those with end-stage renal disease, and the label directs a dose reduction in those patients. For liver impairment, the label explicitly says there are no data supporting specific dose-adjustment guidance. It gives no separate half-life for older adults; it notes pharmacokinetics are similar between children (4 to 17 years) and adults. Worth knowing: most other hydroxyurea labels (Hydrea, Droxia, Xromi, and the generics) state no half-life at all — SIKLOS is the label that carries this number. This is a plasma-clearance figure, not a drug-test detection window and not dosing guidance; hydroxyurea's biological effect on blood counts outlasts the drug's time in plasma.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: SIKLOS (hydroxyurea) tablets — FDA label, §12.3 Pharmacokinetics (DailyMed).

May treat (source: NIH RxClass)

Dosage forms

Tablet

The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.

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Frequently asked questions

What does Siklos treat?
Siklos (Hydroxyurea) may be used to treat brain neoplasms, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, head and neck neoplasms, leukocytosis, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.
How much does Siklos cost?
Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $5.86 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.
Is there a coupon or discount for Siklos?
pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Siklos. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
Who makes Siklos?
Siklos is marketed by Theravia. You can see Theravia's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
Is Siklos a brand-name or generic drug?
Siklos is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Hydroxyurea.
Is Siklos available over the counter?
No. Siklos is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
What forms does Siklos come in?
Siklos is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
Is Siklos FDA-registered?
Siklos is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA208843. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
Is Siklos safe?
There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Siklos. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.
What are the side effects of Siklos?
Siklos's side effects are taken directly from its FDA label. From the label: The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Malignancies [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Vasculitic toxicities (including Leg Ulcers) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Risks with conc… Both common and serious reactions are documented in full on this page. This is general reference from the FDA, not medical advice — always consult a professional.

Clinical content sourced from the FDA label via openFDA (U.S. FDA). View the FDA label on DailyMed → Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.

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