Sarilumab (subcutaneous route)
Available brands
Kevzara
About this medication
Sarilumab injection is used alone or together with other medicines to treat symptoms of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who have been treated with other medicines (eg, methotrexate) that did not work well or could not be tolerated. This medicine is also used to treat polymyalgia rheumatica in patients who have been treated with other medicines (eg, corticosteroids) that did not work well or could not be tolerated. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Before using this medication
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 this medicine, the following should be considered: Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of sarilumab injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of sarilumab injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have serious infections, which may require caution in patients receiving sarilumab injection. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding. 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 this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
How to use this medication
This medicine is given as a shot under your skin. Sarilumab may sometimes be given at home to patients who do not need to be in the hospital. If you or your child are using this medicine at home, your doctor or nurse will teach you how to prepare and inject the medicine. Be sure that you understand exactly how to use this medicine. This medicine comes with a Medication Guide and patient instructions. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. This medicine is available in 2 forms: You may use aprefilled syringeor aprefilled pen. If you use this medicine at home, you will be shown the body areas where this shot can be given. Use a different body area each time you give yourself a shot. Keep track of where you give each shot to make sure you rotate body areas. This will help prevent skin problems. Allow the medicine to warm to room temperature for30 minutes (for the prefilled syringe)or60 minutes (for the prefilled pen)before using it. Do not warm this medicine in any other way. Check the liquid in the prefilled syringe or pen. It should be clear and colorless to pale yellow. Do not use this medicine if it is cloudy, discolored, or has particles in it, or if the prefilled syringe is damaged or broken. Do not shake the medicine. Do not inject into skin areas that are red, bruised, tender, hard, or have scars or stretch marks. Do not remove the needle cap from the prefilled syringe or pen until you are ready to use it. You might not use all of the medicine in each prefilled syringe or pen. Use each prefilled syringe and pen only one time. Do not save an open syringe or pen. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. Store in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Keep the medicine in its original carton to protect from light. Do not use it if it has been frozen. You may also keep the medicine at room temperature for up to 14 days. Throw away unused medicine after 14 days. Throw away used needles in a hard, closed container that the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets.
Disclaimer: August is a health information platform and its responses don't constitute medical advise. Always consult with a licenced medical professional near you before making any changes.