Blinatumomab Injection : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions & More

Blinatumomab injection should be administered only under the supervision of a physician experienced in the use of chemotherapy drugs.

Blinatumomab injection can cause a serious and life-threatening reaction that can occur during the infusion of this drug. Tell your doctor if you have ever had a reaction to blinatumomab or any other medicine. You will receive certain medications to help prevent an allergic reaction before each dose of blinatumomab. If you experience any of the following symptoms during or after receiving blinatumomab, tell your doctor immediately: fever, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, chills, rash, swelling of the face, wheezing, or difficulty to breathe. If you experience a severe reaction, your doctor will stop your infusion and treat the symptoms of the reaction.

Blinatumomab injection can also cause severe, life-threatening central nervous system reactions. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had seizures, confusion, loss of balance, or trouble speaking. If you experience any of the following symptoms, tell your doctor immediately: seizures, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, difficulty speaking, difficulty speaking, loss of consciousness, difficulty falling or staying asleep, headache, confusion or loss of balance. .

Talk to your doctor about the risks of using blinatumomab injection.

Blinatumomab is used in adults and children to treat certain types of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; a type of cancer of the white blood cells) that has not improved or has come back after treatment with other medications. Blinatumomab is also used in adults and children to treat ALL that is in remission (a decrease or disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer), but some evidence of cancer remains. Blinatumomab is in a class of drugs called bispecific T-cell engager antibodies. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.

Blinatumomab comes as a powder that is mixed with liquid so that it is slowly injected intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor or nurse at a hospital or medical facility, and sometimes at home. This medicine is given continuously for 4 weeks followed by 2 to 8 weeks when the medicine is not given. This period of treatment is called a cycle and the cycle can be repeated as needed. The length of treatment depends on how you respond to the medicine.

Your doctor may need to delay your treatment, change your dose, or stop your treatment if you experience certain side effects. It is important that you tell your doctor how you feel during your treatment with blinatumomab injection.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before receiving blinatumomab injection,

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to blinatumomab, any other medications, or benzyl alcohol. or any other ingredient in blinatumomab injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• Tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune) or warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven). Many other medications can also interact with blinatumomab, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you closely for side effects.
• Tell your doctor if you have an infection or if you have or have ever had an infection that comes back. Also, tell your doctor if you have ever had radiation therapy to the brain or chemotherapy or have or have ever had liver disease.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You will need to take a pregnancy test before receiving this medicine. You should not become pregnant during your treatment with blinatumomab and for at least 2 days after your final dose. Talk to your doctor about the types of birth control that will work for you. If you become pregnant while using blinatumomab, call your doctor. Blinatumomab can harm the fetus.
• Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. Do not breastfeed while you are receiving blinatumomab and for at least 2 days after your final dose.
• You should know that blinatumomab injection may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery while you are receiving this medicine.
• Don’t get vaccinated without checking with your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have received a vaccination in the past 2 weeks. After your final dose, your doctor will tell you when it is safe to receive a vaccine.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Blinatumomab injection may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• constipation
• diarrhea
• weight gain
• back, joint, or muscle pain
• swelling of the arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• pain at the injection site

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING or SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS sections, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:

• chest pain
• numbness or tingling in the arms, legs, hands, or feet
• shortness of breath
• ongoing pain that begins in the stomach area but may spread to the back that may occur with or without nausea and vomiting
• fever, sore throat, cough, and other signs of infection

Blinatumomab injection may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while receiving this medicine.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor can submit a report online to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim collapsed, had a seizure, is having trouble breathing, or is unable to wake up, immediately call 911 for emergency services.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• fever
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
• headache

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain laboratory tests before, during, and after your treatment to check your body’s response to blinatumomab injection and to treat side effects before they become serious.

It is important that you keep a written list of all prescription and over-the-counter (over-the-counter) medications you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should take this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you go into hospital. It is also important information to take with you in case of emergencies.