Actemra

Pronunciation

Actemra is pronounced ak-TEM-ruh

Details

A drug used to treat severe or life-threatening cytokine release syndrome caused by a type of immunotherapy called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.

Indications

• It is used in patients aged 2 years and older to treat severe cytokine release syndrome.
• Actemra is also used to treat certain types of arthritis and a condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the arteries.
• It is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions.

Dosage and administration

Actemra is available as intravenous or subcutaneous forms.

Recommended Intravenous Dosage Regimen:

• The recommended dosage of ACTEMRA for adult patients given as a 60-minute single intravenous drip infusion is 4 mg per kg every 4 weeks followed by an increase to 8 mg per kg every 4 weeks based on clinical response.
• Doses exceeding 800 mg per infusion are not recommended in RA patients
• Patients less than 30 kg weight, give 10 mg per kg every 4 weeks
• Patients at or above 30 kg weight 8 mg per kg every 4 weeks

Recommended Subcutaneous Dosage Regimen:

• Recommended Subcutaneous
• PJIA Dosage Patients less than 30 kg weight - 162 mg once every 3 weeks Patients
• at or above 30 kg weight - 162 mg once every 2 weeks
• Patients less than 100 kg weight 162 mg administered subcutaneously every other week, followed by an increase to every week based on clinical response Patients at or above 100 kg weight 162 mg administered subcutaneously every week When transitioning from ACTEMRA intravenous therapy to subcutaneous administration administer the first subcutaneous dose instead of the next scheduled intravenous dose.

Dose adjustments

Reduction of dose from 8 mg per kg to 4 mg per kg is recommended for management of certain dose-related laboratory changes including elevated liver enzymes, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia

Mechanism of action

• Actemra binds to receptors for a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is made by white blood cells and other cells in the body.
• This may help lower the body’s immune response and reduce inflammation.

Drug class

• Actemra is a type of monoclonal antibody.

Other names

Also called tocilizumab.

Use with Methotrexate

For RA, pJIA and sJIA, ACTEMRA may be used alone or in combination with methotrexate: and in RA, other DMARDs may be used.

Actemra Resources
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