What is the most important information I should know about
BKEMV?
BKEMV is a medicine that affects your immune system and may lower the
ability of your immune system to fight infections.
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BKEMV increases your chance of getting serious meningococcal
infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria that
may quickly become life-threatening or cause death if not recognized
and treated early.
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You must complete or update your meningococcal vaccine(s) at least 2
weeks before your first dose of BKEMV.
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If you have not been vaccinated and BKEMV must be started right away,
you should receive the required vaccine(s) as soon as possible.
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If you have not been vaccinated and BKEMV must be started right away,
you should also receive antibiotics for as long as your healthcare
provider tells you.
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If you had a meningococcal vaccine in the past, you might need
additional vaccines before starting BKEMV. Your healthcare provider
will decide if you need additional meningococcal vaccines.
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Meningococcal vaccines do not prevent all meningococcal
infections. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right
away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a serious
meningococcal infection: fever, fever with high heart rate, headache and fever,
confusion, muscle aches with flu-like symptoms, fever and rash,
headache with nausea or vomiting, headache with a stiff neck or stiff
back, or eyes sensitive to light.
Your healthcare provider will give you a Patient Safety Card about
the risk of serious meningococcal infection. Carry it with you at all times during
treatment and for 3 months
after your last dose of BKEMV. Your risk of meningococcal infection may
continue for several weeks after your last dose of BKEMV. It is
important to show this card to any healthcare provider who treats you.
This will help them diagnose and treat you quickly.
BKEMV is only available through a program called the BKEMV Risk
Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Before you can receive
BKEMV, your healthcare provider must:
- enroll in the REMS program
- counsel you about the risk of serious meningococcal infections
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give you information about the signs and symptoms of serious
meningococcal infection
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make sure that you are vaccinated against serious infections caused by
meningococcal bacteria, and that you receive antibiotics if you need
to start BKEMV right away and you are not up to date on your vaccines
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give you a Patient Safety Card about your
risk of meningococcal infection.
BKEMV may also increase the risk of other types of serious
infections, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus
influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
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If your child is treated with BKEMV, your child should receive
vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
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Certain people may be at risk of serious infections with gonorrhea.
Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are at risk for
gonorrhea infection, about gonorrhea prevention, and regular testing.
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Certain fungal infections (Aspergillus) may occur if you take
BKEMV and have a weak immune system or a low white blood cell count.
Who should not receive BKEMV?
Do not receive BKEMV if you have a serious
meningococcal infection when you are starting BKEMV.
Before you receive BKEMV, tell your healthcare provider about all of
your medical conditions, including if you: have an infection or fever, are pregnant or plan
to become pregnant,
and are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if BKEMV
will harm your unborn baby or if it passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the vaccines you receive and
medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and
herbal supplements which could affect your treatment. BKEMV and other
medicines can affect each other causing side effects. Know the
medications you take and the vaccines you receive. Keep a list of them
to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new
medicine.
If you have PNH, your healthcare provider will need to monitor you closely for at least 8 weeks
after stopping BKEMV. Stopping treatment with BKEMV may cause breakdown of your red blood cells due
to PNH. Symptoms or problems that can happen due to red blood cell breakdown include: drop
in the number of your red blood cell count, drop in your platelet count, confusion, kidney problems,
blood clots, difficulty breathing, and chest pain.
If you have aHUS, your healthcare provider will need to monitor you closely during and for at
least 12 weeks after stopping BKEMV for signs of worsening aHUS symptoms or problems related to
abnormal clotting (thrombotic microangiopathy). Symptoms or problems that can happen with
abnormal clotting may include: stroke, confusion, seizure, chest pain (angina), difficulty breathing,
kidney problems, swelling in arms or legs, and a drop in your platelet count.
What are the possible side effects of BKEMV?
BKEMV can cause serious side effects including serious infusion-related reactions. Tell
your healthcare provider or nurse right away if you get any of these symptoms during your BKEMV
infusion: chest pain, trouble breathing or shortness of breath, swelling of your face, tongue, or
throat, and feel faint or pass out. If you have an infusion-related reaction to BKEMV, your healthcare
provider may need to infuse BKEMV more slowly, or stop BKEMV.
The most common side effects in people with PNH treated with BKEMV include: headache,
pain or swelling of your nose or throat (nasopharyngitis), back pain, and nausea.
The most common side effects in people with aHUS treated with BKEMV include: headache,
diarrhea, high blood pressure (hypertension), common cold (upper respiratory infection), stomach-area
(abdominal) pain, vomiting, pain or swelling of your nose or throat (nasopharyngitis), low red blood
cell count (anemia), cough, swelling of legs or feet (peripheral edema), nausea, urinary tract
infections, and fever.
The most common side effects in people with gMG treated with BKEMV include: muscle and
joint (musculoskeletal) pain.
The most common side effects in people with NMOSD treated with BKEMV include: common
cold (upper respiratory infection), pain or swelling of your nose or throat (nasopharyngitis), diarrhea,
back pain, dizziness, flu like symptoms (influenza) including fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore
throat, and body aches, joint pain (arthralgia), throat irritation (pharyngitis), and bruising
(contusion).
Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or
that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of BKEMV. For more
information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your
healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may
report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for BKEMV.
APPROVED USE
BKEMV
® (eculizumab-aeeb) is a prescription medicine used to treat:
- people with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
- people with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS).
BKEMV is not for use in treating people with Shiga toxin E. coli related hemolytic uremic syndrome
(STEC-HUS).
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adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody
positive.
- adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who are anti aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody
positive.
It is not known if BKEMV is safe and effective in children with PNH or NMOSD.