What is it and how is it used?

Busilvex contains the substance busulfan, which belongs to a group of medicines called alkylating agents. Busilvex destroys the original bone marrow before the transplant.

Busilvex is used in adults, new-born infants, children and adolescents as a treatment prior to transplantation.
In adults Busilvex is used in combination with cyclophosphamide.
In new-born infants, children and adolescents, Busilvex is used in combination with cyclophosphamide or melphalan.
You will receive this preparative medicine before receiving a transplant of either bone marrow or haematopoietic progenitor cell.

What do you have to consider before using it?

Do not use Busilvex:

Take special care with Busilvex:
Busilvex is a potent cytotoxic medicine that results in profound decrease of blood cells. At the recommended dose, this is the desired effect. Therefore careful monitoring will be performed. It is possible that use of Busilvex may increase the risk of suffering another malignancy in the future. You should tell your doctor if:

It may no longer be possible for you to achieve a pregnancy (infertility) after treatment with busulfan. If you are concerned about having children, you should discuss this with your doctor before treatment. Busilvex can also produce symptoms of menopause and in pre-adolescent girls it can prevent the onset of puberty.

Men treated with Busilvex are advised not to father child during and up to 6 months after treatment.

Taking other medicines:
Please tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. Busilvex may interact with other medicines.

Particular caution should be taken if you use itraconazol (used for certain types of infections) or ketobemidone (used to treat pain), because this may increase the side-effects.

The use of paracetamol during the 72 hours prior to or with Busilvex administration should be used with caution.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are breast-feeding, before you receive treatment with Busilvex. Women must not be pregnant during treatment with Busilvex and up to 6 months after treatment.
Women must stopbreast-feeding before starting their treatment with Busilvex.

Adequate contraceptive precautions should be used when either partner is receiving Busilvex.

How is it used?

Dosage:

In adults:The dose will be calculated according to your body weight.
The recommended dose of Busilvex is 0.8 mg per kg of body weight, in combination with cyclophosphamide.

In new-born infants, children and adolescents (0 to 17 years):
The recommended dose of Busilvex in combination with cyclophosphamide or melphalan is based on your body weight varying between 0.8 and 1.2 mg/kg.

Administration:

Medicines before you receive Busilvex:
Before receiving Busilvex, you will be medicated with

What are possible side effects?

Like all medicines, Busilvex can cause side effects, although not every body gets them.

Serious side effects:
The mo