dminister only irradiated blood products to avoid transfusion associated Graft versus Host Disease (TAGVHD), unless emergent circumstances dictate immediate transfusion.
In patients receiving Campath as initial therapy, 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 Campath, the median time to recovery of CD4+ counts to ≥ 200 cells/µL was 2 months; however, full recovery (to baseline) of CD4+ and CD8+ counts may take more than 12 months [see BOXED WARNING and ADVERSE REACTIONS (6) ] .
Obtain complete blood counts (CBC) at weekly intervals during Campath therapy and more frequently if worsening anemia, neutropenia, or thrombocytopenia occurs. Assess CD4+ counts after treatment until recovery to ≥ 200 cells/µL [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.3) and ADVERSE REACTIONS (6) ] .
The safety of immunization with live viral vaccines following Campath therapy has not been studied. Do not administer live viral vaccines to patients who have recently received Campath. The ability to generate an immune response to any vaccine following Campath therapy has not been studied.
The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label:
The most common adverse reactions with Campath are: infusion reactions (pyrexia, chills, hypotension, urticaria, nausea, rash, tachycardia, dyspnea), cytopenias (neutropenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia), infections (CMV viremia, CMV infection, other infections), gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, emesis, abdominal pain), and neurological symptoms (insomnia, anxiety). The most common serious adverse reactions are cytopenias, infusion reactions, and immunosuppression/infections.
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The data below reflect exposure to Campath in 296 patients with CLL of whom 147 were previously untreated and 149 received at least 2 prior chemotherapy regimens. The median duration of exposure was 11.7 weeks for previously untreated patients and 8 weeks for previously treated patients.
Lymphopenia: Severe lymphopenia and a rapid and sustained decrease in lymphocyte subsets occurred in previously untreated and previously treated patients following administration of Campath. In previously untreated patients, the median CD4+ was 0 cells/μL at one month after treatment and 238 cells/μL [25-75% interquartile range 115 to 418 cells/μL at 6 months post-treatment [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.3) ] .
Neutropenia: In previously untreated patients, the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was 42% with a median time to onset of 31 days and a median duration of 37 days. In previously treated patients, the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was 64% with a median duration of 28 days. Ten percent of previously untreated patients and 17% of previously treated patients received granulocyte colony stimulating factors.
Anemia: In previously untreated patients, the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 anemia was 12% with a median time to onset of 31 days and a median duration of 8 days. In previously treated patients, the incidence of Gr |
