Uses
ERELZI is a prescription medicine called a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker.
ERELZI is used to treat:
- moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ERELZI can be used alone or with a medicine called methotrexate.
- moderately to severely active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in children ages 2 years and older.
- psoriatic arthritis (PsA). ERELZI can be used alone or with methotrexate.
- ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
- chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) in children 4 years and older and adults who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (ultraviolet light). You may continue to use other medicines that help treat your condition while taking ERELZI, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prescription steroids, as recommended by your healthcare provider.
Side Effects Of Erelzi
ERELZI may cause serious side effects, including:
- Risk of Infection
- Risk of Cancer
1. Risk of Infection
ERELZI can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Some people have serious infections while taking etanercept products. These infections include tuberculosis (TB), and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that spread throughout their body. Some people have died from these infections.
- Your healthcare provider should test you for TB before starting it.
- Your healthcare provider should monitor you closely for symptoms of TB during treatment with ERELZI even if you tested negative for TB.
- Your healthcare provider should check you for symptoms of any type of infection before, during, and after your treatment. You should not start taking ERELZI if you have any kind of infection unless your healthcare provider says it is okay.
2. Risk of Cancer
- There have been cases of unusual cancers, some resulting in death, in children and teenage patients who started using TNF-blocking agents at less than 18 years of age.
- For children, teenagers, and adults taking TNF-blocker medicines, including etanercept products, the chances of getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase.
- People with rheumatoid arthritis, especially those with very active disease, may be more likely to get lymphoma.
Warnings & Precautions
Before starting ERELZI, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider:
ERELZI may not be right for you. Before starting it, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including:
Infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you:
- have an infection
- are being treated for an infection.
- think you have an infection.
- have symptoms of an infection such as fever, sweats or chills, cough or flu-like symptoms, shortness of breath, blood in your phlegm, weight loss, muscle aches, warm, red or painful areas on your skin, sores on your body, diarrhea, or stomach pain, burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal, and feel very tired.
- have any open cuts on your body.
- get a lot of infections or have infections that keep coming back.
- have diabetes, HIV, or a weak immune system. People with these conditions have a higher chance of infections.
- have TB, or have been in close contact with someone with TB.
- were born in, lived in, or traveled to countries where there is a risk for getting TB. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure.
- live, have lived in, or traveled to certain parts of the country where there is a greater risk for getting certain kinds of fungal infections (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis). These infections may happen or become more severe if you use ERELZI. Ask your healthcare provider if you do not know if you live or have lived in an area where these infections are common.
- have or have had hepatitis B.
- Also, before starting ERELZI, tell your healthcare provider:
About all the medicines you take including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements including:
- Orencia (abatacept) or Kineret (anakinra). You have a higher chance of serious infections when taking ERELZI with Orencia or Kineret.
- Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). You may have a higher chance of getting certain cancers when taking ERELZI with cyclophosphamide.
- Anti-diabetic medicines. If you have diabetes and are taking medication to control your diabetes, your healthcare provider may decide you need less anti-diabetic medicine while taking ERELZI.
Dosage Of Erelzi
ERELZI is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous or SC).
- If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give the injections of ERELZI at home, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject ERELZI. Do not try to inject it until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider or nurse.
- ERELZI is available in the forms listed below. Your healthcare provider will prescribe the type that is best for you.
- Single-dose Prefilled Syringe
- Single-dose Prefilled Sensoready Pen
- See the Instructions for Use that come with ERELZI for detailed instructions about the right way to store, prepare, and give your injections at home.
- Your healthcare provider will tell you how often you should use ERELZI. Do not miss any doses of ERELZI. If you forget to use ERELZI, inject your dose as soon as you remember. Then, take your next dose at your regular(ly) scheduled time. In case you are not sure when to inject ERELZI, call your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Do not use ERELZI more often than as directed by your healthcare provider.
- Your child’s dose of ERELZI depends on his or her weight. Your child’s healthcare provider will tell you which form of ERELZI to use and how much to give your child.
Other
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes not mentioned in a Medication Guide. Do not use ERELZI for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give ERELZI to other people, even if they have the same condition. It may harm them.
Source
All information has been provided courtesy of MedLinePlus from the National Library of Medicine and from the FDA.
