Empliciti

Empliciti injection is used together with other medicines to treat multiple myelomas (a blood cell cancer) in patients who have received prior treatments.

It interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are then destroyed by the body. Empliciti is an antineoplastic agent (cancer medicine). This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.

Before using Empliciti, you must know all about the risks and complications associated with it. The choice to use this medicine is informed by the evaluation of the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do.

This is a decision that needs to be reached by you and your doctor. The medical doctor also needs to be informed of the possibility of any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines.

Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of elotuzumab injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Similarly, adult appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of elotuzumab injection in the elderly. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding.

Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding. It is possible that drug Interactions may occur. Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur.

In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other interaction may also occur as a result of using certain medicines at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur.

Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine.

Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially infection may decrease your body's ability to fight infections. In conditions of liver disease, use this drug with caution since it may make this condition worse.

To use Empliciti properly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor. Both the doctor and you need to first understand all of the risks and benefits of using this medicine. This is because this medicine is used for treating cancer.

It is known that cancer treating drugs are very strong and can have many side effects. Before receiving this medicine, it is important for you to work closely with your doctor during your treatment. You will receive this medicine while you are in a hospital or cancer treatment center.

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins. Your doctor may give you some medicines (eg, acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, ranitidine) to prevent infusion reactions.

This medicine should come with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Before using Empliciti, there are some precautions you must take. Regular medical visits and checkups to make sure that this medicine is working properly are required when using this medicine.

Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. Using this medicine together with lenalidomide while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Men and women should use an effective form of birth control to prevent pregnancy during treatment.

If you think a pregnancy has occurred while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away. Infusion reactions may occur with this medicine.

Tell your doctor right away if you have:

• a skin rash
• dizziness
• fever or chills
• a headache
• nausea or vomiting
• a slow or fast heartbeat
• lightheadedness or fainting
• sweating
• unusual tiredness or weakness

Call your doctor right away if you have a cough that won't go away, weight loss, night sweats, fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms, such as a runny or stuffy nose, headache, or blurred vision. These may be symptoms of an infection.

Using this medicine may increase your risk of getting other types of cancer (including skin cancer). Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.

Check with your doctor right away if you have:

• pain or tenderness in the upper stomach
• pale stools
• dark urine
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• yellow eyes or skin

These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

As with many medications, there are several potential side effects associated with Empliciti. 

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur.

The most common side effects may include:

• Blurred vision
• body aches or pain
• chest pain
• chills
• confusion
• a cough or hoarseness dizziness
• faintness or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position ear congestion
• facial swelling
• fever or chills
• headache
• hives
• itching or rash hoarseness irritation joint pain
• stiffness or swelling
• loss of voice
• lower back or side pain
• nasal congestion
• nausea or vomiting
• nervousness
• painful or difficult urination
• pounding in the ears
• redness of the skin
• runny nose
• slow or fast heartbeat
• sneezing
• sore throat
• sweating
• swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, hands or feet
• tightness in the chest
• troubled breathing or swallowing
• unusual tiredness or weakness

Less common side effects may also present as:

• abdominal pain or tenderness
• clay-colored stools
• dark urine
• loss of appetite
• a persistent sore that does not heal
• pink skin growth
• a reddish patch or irritated area
• shiny skin
• bump swelling of the feet or lower legs
• white, yellow or waxy scar-like area on the skin
• yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Some of the common symptoms that may become bothersome include:

• blindness
• burning
• numbness
• tingling or painful sensations
• decreased appetite
• decreased vision
• decreased weight
• diarrhea
• difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• muscle aches
• night sweats
• pain in the arms or legs
• unsteadiness or awkwardness
• weakness in the arms, hands, legs or feet

Other side effects are not listed here and may occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.