hoea and bronchospasm. The frequency of infusion reactions was highest in the first week of therapy, and declined in the second or third week of treatment, in patients treated with MabCampath both as first line therapy and in previously treated patients.
If these events are moderate to severe, then dosing should continue at the same level prior to each dose escalation, with appropriate premedication, until each dose is well tolerated. If therapy is withheld for more than 7 days, MabCampath should be reinstituted with gradual dose escalation.
Transient hypotension has occurred in patients receiving MabCampath. Caution should be used in treating patients with ischaemic heart disease, angina and/or in patients receiving an antihypertensive medicinal product. Myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest have been observed in association with MabCampath infusion in this patient population.
Assessment and ongoing monitoring of cardiac function (e.g. echocardiography, heart rate and body weight) should be considered in patients previously treated with potentially cardiotoxic agents.
It is recommended that patients be premedicated with oral or intravenous steroids 30 - 60 minutes prior to each MabCampath infusion during dose escalation and as clinically indicated. Steroids may be discontinued as appropriate, once dose escalation has been achieved. In addition, an oral antihistamine, e.g. diphenhydramine 50 mg, and an analgesic, e.g. paracetamol 500 mg, may be given. In the event that acute infusion reactions persist, the infusion time may be extended up to 8 hours from the time of reconstitution of MabCampath in solution for infusion.
Profound lymphocyte depletion, an expected pharmacological effect of MabCampath, inevitably occurs and may be prolonged. CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts begin to rise from weeks 8-12 during treatment and continue to recover for several months following the discontinuation of treatment. In patients receiving MabCampath as first line therapy, the recovery of CD4+ counts to 200 cells/µl occurred by 6 months post-treatment, however, at 2 months post-treatment the median was 183 cells/μl. In previously treated patients receiving MabCampath, the median time to reach a level of 200 cells/μl is 2 months following last infusion with MabCampath but may take more than 12 months to approximate pretreatment levels. This may predispose patients to opportunistic infections. It is highly recommended that anti-infective prophylaxis (e.g. trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 1 tablet twice daily, 3 times weekly, or other prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) and an effective oral anti-herpes agent, such as famciclovir, 250 mg twice daily) should be initiated while on therapy and for a minimum of 2 months following completion of treatment with MabCampath or until the CD4+ count has recovered to 200 cells/μl or greater, whichever is the later.
The potential for an increased risk of infection-related complications may exist following treatment with multiple chemotherapeutic or biological agents.
Because of the potential for Transfusion Associated Graft Versus Host Disease (TAGVHD) it is recommended that patients who have been treated with MabCampath receive irradiated blood products.
Asymptomatic laboratory positive Cytomegalovirus (CMV) viraemia should not necessarily be considered a serious infection requiring interruption of therapy. Ongoing clinical assessment should be performed for symptomatic CMV |
