Arzerra
Generic name:ofatumumab [ OH-fa-TOO-mue-mab ]
Drug classes:CD20 monoclonal antibodies, Selective immunosuppressants
What is Arzerra?
Arzerra is a monoclonal antibody that affects the actions of the body's immune system. Monoclonal antibodies are made to target and destroy only certain cells in the body. This may help to protect healthy cells from damage.
Arzerra is used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In some patients, ofatumumab is given with chlorambucil, or with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide for the treatment of patients with relapsed CLL.
Arzerra is sometimes given after other medications have been tried without success.
Warnings
If you have certain risk factors for hepatitis B, Arzerra can cause this condition to come back or get worse, which could lead to liver failure or death. You will need frequent blood tests to check your liver function.
Arzerra may cause a serious viral infection of the brain that can lead to disability or death. Call your doctor right away if you have any change in your mental state, decreased vision, or problems with speech or walking.
To be sure Arzerra is not causing harmful effects, your blood cells, kidney function, and liver function may need to be tested for several months, even after you stop using it. Do not miss any follow-up visits to your doctor.
Before you receive Arzerra, tell your doctor if you have hepatitis or severe COPD.
Before taking this medicine
To make sure Arzerra is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
an active or chronic infection;
a condition for which you have used an immunosuppressant medication; or
hepatitis B.
You may need to take antiviral medicine if you are found to have any risk factors for hepatitis B. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions very carefully.
You should be current on all vaccines before you start using Arzerra. Tell your doctor if you have received any vaccines within the past 4 weeks.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Ofatumumab may harm an unborn baby. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while using Arzerra.
If you use Arzerra while you are pregnant, make sure any doctor caring for your new baby knows that you used the medicine during pregnancy. Being exposed to ofatumumab in the womb could affect your baby's vaccination schedule during the first 6 months of life.
Using Arzerra during pregnancy could affect the immune system of the unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you become pregnant while using this medicine.
It is not known whether ofatumumab passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
