Ravulizumab

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

What is Ravulizumab?[edit | edit source]



What are the uses of this medicine?[edit | edit source]

This medicine is used to treat:


How does this medicine work?[edit | edit source]

  • Ravulizumab-cwvz is a terminal complement inhibitor that specifically binds to the complement protein C5 with high affinity, thereby inhibiting its cleavage to C5a (the proinflammatory anaphylatoxin) and C5b (the initiating subunit of the terminal complement complex [C5b-9]) and preventing the generation of the terminal complement complex C5b9.
  • Ultomiris inhibits terminal complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis in patients with PNH and complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in patients with aHUS.


Who Should Not Use this medicine ?[edit | edit source]

This medcine cannot be used in patients with:


What drug interactions can this medicine cause?[edit | edit source]

  • No clinically important drug interactions have been observed with Ultomiris.


Is this medicine FDA approved?[edit | edit source]

  • It was approved for use in the United States in 2018.


How should this medicine be used?[edit | edit source]

  • Vaccinate patients for meningococcal disease according to current ACIP guidelines to reduce the risk of serious infection.
  • Provide 2 weeks of antibacterial drug prophylaxis to patients if Ultomiris must be initiated immediately and vaccines are administered less than 2 weeks before starting Ultomiris therapy.

Recommended Dosage

  • The recommended dosing regimen in adult and pediatric patients, one month of age or older weighing 5 kg or greater, with PNH and aHUS consists of a loading dose followed by maintenance dosing, administered by intravenous infusion. The dosing is based on the patient's body weight, as shown belowː


Body Weight Range (kg) Loading Dose (mg) Maintenance Dose (mg) and Dosing Interval
5 to less than 10 600 300 Every 4 weeks
10 to less than 20 600 600 Every 4 weeks
20 to less than 30 900 2,100 Every 8 weeks
30 to less than 40 1,200 2,700 Every 8 weeks
40 to less than 60 2,400 3,000 Every 8 weeks
60 to less than 100 2,700 3,300 Every 8 weeks
100 or greater 3,000 3,600 Every 8 weeks

Administration

  • Ultomiris is given through a vein by intravenous (I.V.) infusion

If you are an adult with PNH or aHUS, you will usually receive:

  • a starting dose of Ultomiris as an infusion by your doctor, and then
  • 2 weeks later, you will start to receive an infusion of Ultomiris every 8 weeks.

Children 1 month of age and older with PNH or aHUS will usually receive:

  • a starting dose of Ultomiris as an infusion by your doctor, and then
  • your doctor will decide how often your child will receive Ultomiris, either every 4 weeks or every 8 weeks, depending on their weight, starting 2 weeks after the starting dose.


What are the dosage forms and brand names of this medicine?[edit | edit source]

This medicine is available in fallowing doasage form: As Injection:

  • 300 mg/30 mL (10 mg/mL) in a single-dose vial .
  • 300 mg/3 mL (100 mg/mL) in a single-dose vial.
  • 1,100 mg/11 mL (100 mg/mL) in a single-dose vial.

This medicine is available in fallowing brand namesː

  • Ultomiris


What side effects can this medication cause?[edit | edit source]

The most common side effects of Ultomiris in people treated for PNH are:

The most common side effects of Ultomiris in people treated for aHUS are:

  • upper respiratory tract infection
  • diarrhea
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • headache
  • high blood pressure
  • fever

Ultomiris can cause serious side effects including: Infusion-related reactions, including:

  • chest pain
  • trouble breathing or shortness of breath
  • swelling of your face, tongue, or throat
  • feel faint or pass out


What special precautions should I follow?[edit | edit source]

  • Life-threatening meningococcal infections have occurred in patients treated with Ultomiris. Vaccinate for meningococcal disease according to the most current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for patients with complement deficiencies. Immunize patients without a history of meningococcal vaccination at least 2 weeks prior to receiving the first dose of Ultomiris.
  • Due to the risk of meningococcal infections, Ultomiris is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS).
  • Ultomiris blocks terminal complement activation; therefore, patients may have increased susceptibility to encapsulated bacteria infections, especially infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis but also Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and to a lesser extent, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Use caution when administering Ultomiris to patients with any other systemic infection.
  • Administration of Ultomiris may result in infusion-related reactions. Monitor patients during infusion, interrupt for reactions, and institute appropriate supportive measures.


What to do in case of emergency/overdose?[edit | edit source]

  • In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline of your country. In the United States, call 1-800-222-1222.


Can this medicine be used in pregnancy?[edit | edit source]

  • There are no available data on Ultomiris use in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.


Can this medicine be used in children?[edit | edit source]

  • The safety and effectiveness of Ultomiris for the treatment of PNH have been established in pediatric patients aged one month and older.
  • The safety and effectiveness of Ultomiris for the treatment of aHUS have been established in pediatric patients aged one month and older.


What are the active and inactive ingredients in this medicine?[edit | edit source]

Active ingredient: ravulizumab-cwvz Inactive ingredients:

  • Ultomiris 100 mg/mL: L-arginine, polysorbate 80 (vegetable origin), sodium phosphate dibasic, sodium phosphate monobasic, sucrose and Water for Injection
  • Ultomiris 10 mg/mL: polysorbate 80 (vegetable origin), sodium chloride, sodium phosphate dibasic, sodium phosphate monobasic and Water for Injection


Who manufactures and distributes this medicine?[edit | edit source]


What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?[edit | edit source]

  • Store Ultomiris vials refrigerated at 2°C - 8°C (36°F - 46°F) in the original carton to protect from light.
  • Do not freeze.
  • Do not shake.
Ravulizumab Resources
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Ravulizumab Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski

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