Mabcampath
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) summary
The full CMI on the next page has more details. If you are worried about using this medicine,
speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Mabcampath contains the active ingredient alemtuzumab. Mabcampath is used to treat
a form of leukaemia known as B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). This is
a cancer of the type of white blood cells called lymphocytes.
For more information, see Section 1. Why am I receiving Mabcampath? in the full CMI.
Do not use if you have ever had an allergic reaction to alemtuzumab, other murine
proteins or any of the ingredients listed at the end of the CMI.
Talk to your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, take any other medicines,
or are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.
For more information, see Section 2. What should I know before I receive Mabcampath? in the full CMI.
Some medicines may interfere with Mabcampath and affect how it works.
A list of these medicines is in Section 3. What if I am taking other medicines? in the full CMI.
Mabcampath is given via infusion into the blood. Each time you are given Mabcampath
it will take about 2 hours.
During the first week, 3 mg of Mabcampath is given on Day 1, then 10 mg on Day 2 and
30 mg on Day 3
Mabcampath will continue to be given at 30 mg doses on 3 alternate days each week
More instructions can be found in Section 4. How do I receive Mabcampath? in the full CMI.
Things you should do
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Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are receiving Mabcampath.
If you are a fertile male or female of childbearing potential, ensure that you are
using reliable birth control during treatment and for at least 6 months after treatment.
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Driving or using machines
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Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Mabcampath affects you
Confusion and sleepiness have been reported with this medicine
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Looking after your medicine
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Mabcampath will be stored by your doctor or pharmacist
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For more information, see Section 5. What should I know while receiving Mabcampath? in the full CMI.
Common side effects include bleeding or bruising more easily than normal, tiredness,
headaches, weight loss, loss of appetite, fainting, dizziness, tremor, pins and needles,
headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, aching muscles, diarrhoea, constipation.
For more information, including what to do if you have any side effects, see Section
6. Are there any side effects? in the full CMI.
Mabcampath
Active ingredient(s):
alemtuzumab
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)
This leaflet provides important information about using Mabcampath. You should also speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like further information
or if you have any concerns or questions about using Mabcampath.
Where to find information in this leaflet:
Mabcampath contains the active ingredient alemtuzumab. Mabcampath is a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognises and binds to a unique
protein located on the surface of abnormal lymphocytes.
Mabcampath is an anti-cancer drug used to treat a form of leukaemia known as B cell
chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). This is a cancer of the type of white blood
cells called lymphocytes.
Patients with B-CLL have too many abnormal lymphocytes, which displace healthy cells
in the bone marrow (where most new blood cells are formed) in addition to the blood
stream and other organs. Without enough healthy blood cells, infections, anaemia,
bruising, excessive bleeding or organ failure can result.
Do not use [medicine name] if:
you are allergic to to alemtuzumab or murine proteins, or any of the ingredients listed
at the end of this leaflet.
Always check the ingredients to make sure you can use this medicine.
Check with your doctor if you:
have any other medical conditions including:
an active infection which is spread around the body
HIV
an active secondary cancer
heart disease or condition - your doctor will monitor you carefully as Mabcampath
may make these conditions worse
During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important
you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information
under Section 6. Are there any side effects?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Do not receive treatment with Mabcampath if you are pregnant. It may affect your developing
baby if you receive this medicine whilst pregnant. Ensure you are using reliable contraception
during treatment and for 6 months after treatment.
If you become pregnant whilst receiving this medicine inform your doctor immediately.
Do not breastfeed if you are receiving Mabcampath. Do not begin to breastfeed until
at least 4 weeks after you have finished your treatment with Mabcampath and have consulted
your doctor. It is possible that your baby might be affected if you breastfeed.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any
medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may interfere with Mabcampath and affect how it works. These include
anti-cancer medicines. It is recommended that Mabcampath is not given within 3 weeks
of other chemotherapeutic medicines
live viral vaccines. It is recommended that patients do not receive live viral vaccines
for at least 12 months following Mabcampath therapy
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins
or supplements you are taking and if these affect [medicine name].
How much is given and when
Mabcampath is given under the supervision of your doctor
It is given in the form of a solution directly into the bloodstream through a vein,
known as an intravenous infusion
Each time you receive Mabcampath the infusion will take about 2 hours
During the first week, 3 mg of Mabcampath will be given on Day 1, then 10 mg on Day
2 and 30 mg on Day 3. Mabcampath will continue to be given at 30 mg doses on 3 alternate
days each week
You may experience early side effects and the initial smaller doses may be repeated
until the side effects go away or reduce. The aim is to increase the amounts of Mabcampath
you receive slowly in order to reduce the possibility of side effects and to enable
your body to tolerate the medicine better
Your doctor will carefully monitor you and decide how much to give you throughout
your treatment with Mabcampath
How long is Mabcampath given for?
Mabcampath treatment may continue for up to 12 weeks, depending on your progress.
Mabcampath causes suppression of the immune system, which affects the natural ability
of the body to fight infection for up to 6 months after treatment. Therefore, you
may require antibiotics or antivirals to provide you with extra protection until your
immune system has recovered.
If you receive too much Mabcampath
If you think that you have been given too much Mabcampath, you may need urgent medical
attention.
Your doctor will treat you as required if you have any ill effects from having received
too much Mabcampath.
You should immediately:
phone the Poisons Information Centre
(by calling 13 11 26)
(by calling 13 11 26)
You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Things you should do
Remind any doctor or dentist you visit that you are receiving Mabcampath.
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon and/or anaesthetist that you are
receiving this medicine.
If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are receiving
this medicine.
Keep all of your doctor’s appointments so that your progress can be checked.
Driving or using machines
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Mabcampath
affects you.
Mabcampath may cause confusion and sleepiness in some people.
All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of
them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention.
See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you
have any further questions about side effects.
Less serious side effects
Less serious side effects
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What to do
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discharge with itching of the eyes and crusty eyelids
bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
tiredness, headaches, being short of breath when exercising, dizziness, looking pale
weight loss, loss of appetite
anxiety, confusion, depression, drowsiness, trouble sleeping, being unusually overactive
fainting, dizziness
tremor, pins and needles, decreased feeing or sensitivity, headache, taste loss
bluish discoloration of skin, flushing
abnormal heart beat (fast or slow)
difficulty in breathing, pressure, chest tightness, coughing,
nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhoea, indigestion, constipation, wind
rash (itchy or not), excessive sweating, redness of the skin
aching muscles, muscle tenderness or weakness (not caused by exercise), back pain,
joint pain, chest pain
fever, chills, tiredness, unusual weakness
feeling of tension or fullness in the nose, cheeks and behind your eyes, sometimes
with a throbbing ache, fever, stuffy nose and loss of the sense of smell
sore throat and discomfort when swallowing
symptoms of low calcium levels in the blood which includes muscle spasm or twitching,
numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
depression, irritability, confusion, disorientation
dehydration or excessive thirst
blisters and/or ulcers in the mouth or genitalia
symptoms of pneumonia such as fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough and phlegm
that may be blood stained
flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, sore throat, runny nose, cough and chills
burning or pain upon urination, increased frequency to urinate
sore, creamy-yellow, raised patches in the mouth
itching, burning and a thick, white, “cottage cheese” discharge
unexplained weight gain, feeling cold, worsening tiredness, new constipation
weight loss, excessive sweating, intolerance to heat, increased bowel movements
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Speak to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects and they worry
you.
If you believe the side effect is of a more severe nature, tell your doctor as soon
as possible.
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Serious side effects
Serious side effects
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What to do
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vomitting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, bleeding from the back
passage, black sticky bowel motions (stools) or bloody diarrhoea
unusually swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin
loss of hearing
loss of control of your bladder or bowel
sudden signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives on the skin, swelling of the
face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble
breathing
signs of heart attack such as central crushing chest pain, aching sensation in your
chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back, pain in left arm, increased
sweating
signs of a stroke such as drooping of the skin on your face or sudden weakness or
numbness on one side of the body or sudden difficulty with speech or your vision
signs of tumour lysis syndrome such as pain in one side of the body under the rib
cage, little or no urine, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, breathlessness, irregular
heart beat, loss of memory, loss of consciousness
signs of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (excessive activation of white blood
cells) such as fever, swollen glands, bruising, or skin rash. Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated early
signs of glomerulonephritis such as pink or cola-coloured urine, or foam in the urine,
or noticeable swelling face, hands, feet and abdomen
signs of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is a temporary inflammation of the nerves,
causing pain, weakness, and paralysis in the extremities and often progressing up
to the chest and face
signs of hepatitis (associated with a viral infection called Epstein-Barr Virus) including
fatigue, flu-like symptoms, dark urine, pale stool, abdominal pain, loss of appetite,
unexplained weight loss, yellow skin and eyes
abnormally fast or irregular heart beat
extreme difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, sharp chest pains which are worse
when breathing in, frequent fainting
severe bleeding or bruising more than usual (e.g. persistent nose bleeds)
signs of intracranial haemorrhage such as severe headache, nausea, vomiting, alertness
changes, problems with speech, balance, coordination or focusing of the eyes
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Call your doctor straight away, or go straight to the Emergency Department at your
nearest hospital if you notice any of these serious side effects.
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Tell your doctor or nurse if you notice anything else that may be making you feel
unwell.
Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.
Reporting side effects
After you have received medical advice for any side effects you experience, you can
report side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration online at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems . By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of
this medicine.
Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop
taking any of your medicines.
This medicine is only available with a doctor's prescription.
What Mabcampath contains
Active ingredient
(main ingredient)
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alemtuzumab
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Other ingredients
(inactive ingredients)
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disodium edentate
phosphate buffered saline. This consists of polysorbate 80, potassium chloride, monobasic
potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate and water for injections
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Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any of these ingredients.
What Mabcampath looks like
Mabcampath is a colourless to slightly yellow concentrate. (AUST R 116622).
Mabcampath, when reconstituted, should be used immediately after dilution or within
8 hours after dilution, The solution should be stored between 15°C and 30°C or refrigerated.
Preparation of the solution should occur under aseptic conditions and the solution
should be protected from light.
Mabcampath contains no antimicrobial preservative.