Tysabri

Tysabri
Generic Name: natalizumab (nat ta LIZ yoo mab)
Brand Names: Tysabri
Company: Elan Pharmaceuticals / Biogen Idec
FDA Approved: January 2008
Approved November 2004
Suspended February 2005
Tysabri is rated 7.8/10

Tysabri (natalizumab) is a monoclonal antibody that affects the actions of the body's immune system. Monoclonal antibodies are made to target and destroy only certain cells in the body. This may help to protect healthy cells from damage.

Tysabri is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

Tysabri is also used to treat moderate to severe Crohn's disease in adults. It is usually given after other medicines have been tried without success.

Tysabri dosing information
Usual Adult Dose of Tysabri for Multiple Sclerosis:

300 mg IV over 1 hour once every 4 weeks

Comments:
-Only prescribers registered in the MS TOUCH (R) Prescribing Program may prescribe this drug for multiple sclerosis.
-Patients should be observed during the infusion and for one hour after the infusion is complete.

Use: Multiple Sclerosis (MS): As monotherapy for the treatment of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis

Comments:
-Only prescribers registered in the CD TOUCH (R) Prescribing Program may prescribe this drug for Crohn's disease.
-This drug should not be used with concomitant immunosuppressants (e.g., 6-mercaptopurine, azathioprine, cyclosporine, methotrexate) or concomitant inhibitors of TNF-alpha.
-Aminosalicylates may be continued during treatment with this drug.
-If the patient has not experienced therapeutic benefit by 12 weeks of induction therapy, this drug should be discontinued.
-For patients who start this drug while on chronic oral corticosteroids, steroid tapering should commence as soon as a therapeutic benefit of this drug has occurred; if the patient cannot be tapered off of oral corticosteroids within 6 months of starting this drug, then this drug should be discontinued.
-Other than the initial 6 month taper, prescribers should consider discontinuing this drug for patients who require additional steroid use that exceeds 3 months in a calendar year to control their Crohn's disease.
-Patients should be observed during the infusion and for one hour after the infusion is complete.

Important information
Tysabri may cause serious viral infections of the brain or spinal cord that can lead to disability or death. Call your doctor right away if you have a sudden fever, severe headache, confusion, memory problems, vision changes, eye pain, weakness on one side of your body, or problems with using your arms or legs. These symptoms may start gradually and get worse quickly.

Call your doctor right away if you have any change in your mental state, decreased vision, weakness on one side of your body, or problems with speech or walking. These symptoms may start gradually and get worse quickly.

Call your doctor at once if you develop any symptoms of liver damage, such as nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

You should also call your doctor right away if you develop any signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, redness, pain, swelling, or painful urination.