Alemtuzumab (Systemic)

Brand Names : Campath

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For alemtuzumab, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to alemtuzumab or other monoclonal antibodies. Also tell your health care provider if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives.

Pregnancy - Alemtuzumab may cause harm to the fetus when administered during pregnancy. There are no adequate, well-controlled studies in pregnant women. You should avoid becoming pregnant while receiving alemtuzumab. Contraception should be used in men and women, during treatment and for at least 6 months after treatment is over. However, this medicine may be needed in serious diseases or other situations that threaten the mother's life. Be sure you have discussed this with your doctor.

Breast-feeding - It is not known if alemtuzumab passes into the breast milk. However, due to potential serious side effects in nursing babies from alemtuzumab, breast feeding should be discontinued during treatment and for at least 3 months following the last dose of alemtuzumab.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of alemtuzumab in children with use in other age groups. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. Although there is no specific information comparing use of alemtuzumab in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking alemtuzumab, it is especially important that your doctor and pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Acyclovir (e.g., Zovirax) or
• Anticonvulsants (seizure medicine) or
• Antidiabetics, oral (diabetes medicine taken by mouth) or
• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
• Captopril (e.g., Capoten) or
• Enalapril (e.g., Vasotec) or
• Flecainide (e.g., Tambocor) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Imipenem or
• Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics or
• Lisinopril (e.g., Prinivil, Zestril) or
• Maprotiline (e.g., Ludiomil) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Pimozide (e.g., Orap) or
• Procainamide (e.g., Pronestyl) or
• Promethazine (e.g., Phenergan) or
• Ramipril (e.g., Altace) or
• Sulfasalazine (e.g., Azulfidine) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola) or
• Tocainide (e.g., Tonocard) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (medicine for depression) or
• Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril) - Concurrent use of these agents with alemtuzumab may cause blood disorders

• Alpha interferons (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antineoplastics, other (cancer medicine) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Colchicine or
• Cyclophosphamide (e.g. Cytoxan) or
• Flucytosine (e.g. Ancoban) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
• Methotrexate (e.g., Rheumatrex) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin)
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) - Concurrent use of these agents with alemtuzumab increases the risk of infection

• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines - Alemtuzumab may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of alemtuzumab. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Heart disease - Increased risk of low blood pressure, monitor blood pressure during therapy

• Bone marrow depression or
• Infection - Risk increased or worsening of infection by alemtuzumab

• Immune deficiency condition - HIV infection may increase the risk of side effects of alemtuzumab