What is the most important information I should know about ocrelizumab?
Ocrelizumab may cause unpleasant side effects while the medicine is injected, or up to 24 hours later. Tell your caregivers right away if you have any unusual discomfort during the injection.
Call your doctor if you have unpleasant side effects such as dizziness, nausea, skin rash, chest tightness, or trouble breathing within 24 hours after your injection.
What is ocrelizumab?
Ocrelizumab 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.
Ocrelizumab is used to treat multiple sclerosis (relapsing or progressive forms).
Ocrelizumab may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving ocrelizumab?
You should not be treated with ocrelizumab if you are allergic to it, or if you have:
- active infection with hepatitis B.
Tell your doctor if you have received any vaccine within the past 6 weeks.
To make sure ocrelizumab is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- any type of active infection;
- a history of using medicine that can weaken your immune system;
- if you are a carrier of hepatitis B; or
- if you are scheduled to receive any vaccines.
Using ocrelizumab may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Ask your doctor about your specific risk.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 6 months after your last dose.
It is not known whether ocrelizumab passes into breast milk or if it could affect the nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.
How is ocrelizumab given?
Before you start treatment with ocrelizumab, your doctor may perform tests to make sure you do not have hepatitis B or other infections.
Ocrelizumab is injected into a vein through an IV. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.
You may be given other medications to prevent certain side effects of ocrelizumab.
Your first dose of ocrelizumab will be split into 2 separate infusions. You will receive these infusions 2 weeks apart. The following doses will be given once every 6 months.
Ocrelizumab must be given slowly and each infusion can take up to 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
You will be watched closely for at least 1 hour after receiving ocrelizumab, to make sure you do not have an allergic reaction to the medication.
If you have ever had hepatitis B, ocrelizumab can cause this condition to come back or get worse. You will need frequent blood tests to check your liver function during treatment and for several months after you stop using this medicine.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose of ocrelizumab.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while receiving ocrelizumab?
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using ocrelizumab, or you could develop a serious infection. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.
What are the possible side effects of ocrelizumab?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Some side effects may occur during the injection or up to 24 hours later. Tell your caregiver right away if you feel dizzy, sleepy, nauseated, light-headed, feverish, sweaty, itchy, or have a red skin rash, headache, fast heartbeats, chest tightness, trouble breathing, or swelling and irritation in your throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- fever, chills, cough with yellow or green mucus;
- stabbing chest pain, wheezing, feeling short of breath;
- skin warmth, redness, or swelling;
- skin sores, blisters, pus, or oozing;
- cold sores or fever blisters on or around your lips;
- nerve pain (tingling, burning pain, "pins and needles" feeling);
- mood or behavior changes, confusion, memory problems;
- weakness on one side of your body; or
- problems with vision, speech, or walking.
Your ocrelizumab treatments may be delayed or permanently discontinued if you have certain side effects.
Common side effects may include:
- reactions to an injection; or
- respiratory infections (affecting the nose, sinuses, throat, or lungs).
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect ocrelizumab?
Tell your doctor about all other medicines you have recently used to treat multiple sclerosis.
Other drugs may interact with ocrelizumab, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about ocrelizumab.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.01. Revision date: 12/26/2017.
