- EMPLICITI patient
EMPLICITI™ (elotuzumab) is given through an intravenous (IV) infusion by your healthcare team. An IV infusion is when medicine is given directly into the bloodstream through a vein—usually in the arm, hand, or through an IV port.
APPOINTMENT BRING
SOMETHING TO DO RECEIVE
EMPLICITI
How long does each EMPLICITI infusion take?
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How long does each EMPLICITI infusion take?
- Your healthcare provider will give you medicines before each infusion of EMPLICITI to help reduce the risk of infusion reactions.
- The length of each EMPLICITI infusion will depend on your body weight and how many times you have received EMPLICITI in the past.
- If infusion reactions occur or become worse, it may take more time to receive your
EMPLICITI infusion.
What if I miss my appointment?
If you miss your EMPLICITI infusion, call your healthcare team right away to schedule another time to get an infusion.
EMPLICITI keeps working between your treatments to help your immune system fight the disease. That’s why it is very important to keep every appointment on the day it is scheduled. To make the most of your treatment plan, you should continue receiving EMPLICITI for as long as your healthcare provider prescribes the medication.
How do I know if EMPLICITI is working?
Immunotherapy is different from traditional chemotherapies because it works with your immune system. Your healthcare team can determine how your body is responding to EMPLICITI in several ways—for example, they may check the amount of M proteins in your blood, or for a change in size or number of bone lesions.
Your healthcare team will monitor you closely to make sure you are responding to treatment.
What are some treatment tips for EMPLICITI?
TAKE NOTES KNOW YOUR
MEDICATIONS KEEP A
SCHEDULE
You will be taking other medications as well as EMPLICITI. Filling out personalized treatment calendars along with your healthcare team may help you keep track of the medicine you’re taking each day.
Download your EMPLICITI Treatment Calendar now.
What do I need to know about my treatment schedule?
Your EMPLICITI treatment schedule is divided into cycles that are 28 days (4 weeks) long. A cycle is a set number of days you are on treatment and also includes the time you spend resting in between treatments.
EMPLICITI is usually given one time every week for cycles 1 and 2 (28-day cycles), and one time every 2 weeks for cycles 3 and up (28-day cycles). REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone are also given during these cycles as part of the treatment. Before each infusion, your healthcare provider will give you medicines to help reduce the risk of an infusion reaction. Your healthcare provider will also decide how many treatments you will receive.
Take your dose of dexamethasone exactly as prescribed. Keep in mind the dose of oral dexamethasone may vary based on whether EMPLICITI is given that day.
Selected Important Facts About EMPLICITI
Serious side effects
Infections may occur in patients who receive EMPLICITI with REVLIMID and dexamethasone, and can be serious. Symptoms of an infection may include:
- fever
- flu-like symptoms
- cough
- shortness of breath
- burning with urination
- painful skin rash
Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of the signs and symptoms of an infection.
Please read Important Facts below, including other serious side effects.
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Dexamethasone:
A steroid used in the treatment of multiple myeloma, often in combination with other medications. To learn more about dexamethasone, ask your healthcare team.
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Immunotherapy:
A type of treatment that works with your immune system to help control certain cancers. It is different because it is not surgery, radiation, or traditional chemotherapy.
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Intravenous (IV) infusion:
When medicine is given directly into the bloodstream through a vein—usually in the arm, hand, or through an IV port.
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M protein:
A type of protein made by myeloma cells. M protein levels may be used to estimate the extent of myeloma disease, and measuring them is one way to evaluate response to myeloma treatments.
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Natural Killer (NK) Cell:
A type of white blood cell that helps fight infection or disease and can be important for destroying cancerous cells.
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Overall response rate:
The percentage of patients who responded to treatment—for example, patients whose level of M protein was lowered by a certain amount. Overall response rates include complete response, very good partial response, and partial response.
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Progression-free survival:
The length of time during and after the treatment of a disease that a patient lives with the disease but it does not get worse.
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REVLIMID®
(also known as lenalidomide):An oral medication with anti-myeloma effects. It is used in combination with other medications. To learn more about REVLIMID, ask your healthcare team.
Important Facts About EMPLICITI™ (elotuzumab)OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS
This is a summary of important information that you need to know about EMPLICITI. Your healthcare team can work with you to help answer any questions you may have about EMPLICITI.
Keep this information in a safe place, so you can refer to it before and during your treatment. Look out for these icons as you read:
What is EMPLICITI?
EMPLICITI is a prescription medicine used to treat multiple myeloma in combination with other medications:
(elotuzumab) REVLIMID®
(lenalidomide) dexamethasone
Remember to read the safety information for the other medications you are receiving.
EMPLICITI is for patients who have received one to three prior treatments for their multiple myeloma.
EMPLICITI is for adults. The safety and effectiveness of EMPLICITI has not been studied in children.
What are the possible side effects of EMPLICITI?
EMPLICITI may cause side effects, some of which can be serious. Your healthcare team will work with you to manage any side effects you may experience throughout your treatment with EMPLICITI.
Serious side effects
Infusion reactions can happen during your EMPLICITI infusion or within 24 hours after your infusion.
Symptoms of an infusion reaction may include:
- fever
- chills
- rash
- trouble breathing
- dizziness
- light-headedness
Before every EMPLICITI infusion, your healthcare team will give you medications to help reduce the risk of infusion reactions.
If you have an infusion reaction while receiving EMPLICITI, your healthcare provider will slow or stop your infusion and treat your reaction. If you have a severe infusion reaction your healthcare provider may stop your treatment completely.
Call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have any of the above symptoms after your infusion with EMPLICITI.
Infections may develop in patients who receive EMPLICITI with REVLIMID and dexamethasone, and can be serious. Symptoms of an infection may include:
- fever
- flu-like symptoms
- cough
- shortness of breath
- burning with urination
- painful skin rash
Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of the signs and symptoms of an infection.
Developing new cancers (malignancies) is a risk in patients who receive EMPLICITI with REVLIMID and dexamethasone. Your healthcare provider will check you for new cancers during your treatment with EMPLICITI.
Talk to your healthcare team to learn more about your risk of developing new cancers if you receive EMPLICITI with REVLIMID and dexamethasone.
Liver problems may occur in patients who receive EMPLICITI. Symptoms of liver problems include:
- tiredness
- weakness
- loss of appetite
- yellowing of your skin or eyes
- color changes in your stools
- confusion
- swelling of the stomach area
Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your liver function during your treatment with EMPLICITI.
Talk to your healthcare team if you have any of the signs and symptoms of liver problems.
The most common side effects
- fatigue
- diarrhea
- fever
- constipation
- cough
- numbness, weakness, tingling, or burning pain in your arms or legs
- sore throat or runny nose
- upper respiratory tract infection
- decreased appetite
- pneumonia
These are not all of the possible side effects of EMPLICITI.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You can report any side effects you experience to the FDA by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.
What should I discuss with my healthcare team before starting EMPLICITI?
Talk to your healthcare team about all of your medical conditions, including if you have an infection.
Let your healthcare team know as soon as possible if you are a woman who is pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed. It is not known if EMPLICITI can harm an unborn baby. However, REVLIMID® may cause birth defects or death of an unborn baby. It is not known if EMPLICITI passes into breastmilk. You should not breastfeed during treatment with EMPLICITI with REVLIMID and dexamethasone.
Before receiving EMPLICITI with REVLIMID and dexamethasone females and males must agree to the instructions in the REVLIMID REMS® program. The REVLIMID REMS program has specific requirements about birth control (contraception), pregnancy testing, blood donation, and sperm donation that you need to know.
Talk to your healthcare team to learn more about REVLIMID.
Interactions with other drugs may affect the way EMPLICITI works in your body.
Talk to your healthcare team about all of the medicines you are taking before starting EMPLICITI, including:
- prescription medicines
- over-the-counter medicines
- vitamins
- herbal supplements
Please read Patient Information in the Full Prescribing Information.
Unless otherwise indicated as an EMPLICITI patient, individuals depicted are models used for illustrative purposes only.
The information provided on this website is not a substitute for talking to your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider is the best source of information about your disease.
EMPLICITI and the related logo are trademarks and Access Support is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. REVLIMID and REVLIMID REMS are registered trademarks of Celgene Corporation.
© 2016 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. All rights reserved.
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