The impact of hemolysis in PNH

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INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is EMPAVELI® (pegcetacoplan)?

EMPAVELI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a disease called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

What is the most important information I should know about EMPAVELI?

EMPAVELI is a medicine that affects your immune system and may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.

EMPAVELI increases your chance of getting serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. These serious infections may quickly become life-threatening or cause death if not recognized and treated early.

  1. You must complete or be up to date with the vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis at least 2 weeks before your first dose of EMPAVELI.
  2. If you have not completed your vaccines and EMPAVELI must be started right away, you should receive the required vaccines as soon as possible.
  3. If you have not been vaccinated and EMPAVELI must be started right away, you should also receive antibiotics to take for as long as your healthcare provider tells you.
  4. If you have been vaccinated against these bacteria in the past, you might need additional vaccines before starting EMPAVELI. Your healthcare provider will decide if you need additional vaccines.
  5. Vaccines do not prevent all infections caused by encapsulated bacteria. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a serious infection:
    • fever with or without shivers or the chills
    • fever with chest pain and cough
    • fever with high heart rate
    • headache and a fever
    • confusion
    • clammy skin
    • fever and a rash
    • fever with breathlessness or fast breathing
    • headache with nausea or vomiting
    • headache with a stiff neck or stiff back
    • body aches with flu-like symptoms
    • eyes sensitive to light

Your healthcare provider will give you a Patient Safety Card about the risk of serious infections. Carry it with you at all times during treatment and for 2 months after your last EMPAVELI dose. Your risk of serious infections may continue for several weeks after your last dose of EMPAVELI. It is important to show this card to any healthcare provider who treats you. This will help them diagnose and treat you quickly.

EMPAVELI is only available through a program called the EMPAVELI Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Before you can take EMPAVELI, your healthcare provider must enroll in the EMPAVELI REMS program, counsel you about the risk of serious infections caused by certain bacteria, give you information about the symptoms of serious infections, make sure that you are vaccinated against serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria and that you receive antibiotics if you need to start EMPAVELI right away and you are not up to date on your vaccines, and give you a Patient Safety Card about your risk of serious infections.

Who should NOT take EMPAVELI?

Do not take EMPAVELI if you:

  • are allergic to pegcetacoplan or any of the ingredients in EMPAVELI.
  • have a serious infection caused by encapsulated bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae type B when you are starting EMPAVELI treatment.

Before you take EMPAVELI, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have an infection or fever.
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. EMPAVELI may harm your unborn baby. Females who are able to become pregnant should have a pregnancy test before starting treatment with EMPAVELI and use an effective method of birth control during treatment with EMPAVELI and for 40 days after the last dose.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if EMPAVELI passes into your breast milk. You should not breastfeed during treatment with EMPAVELI and for 40 days after the last dose.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the vaccines you receive and medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements which could affect your treatment.

If you stop taking EMPAVELI, your healthcare provider will need to monitor you closely for at least 8 weeks after stopping EMPAVELI. Stopping treatment with EMPAVELI may cause a breakdown of red blood cells due to PNH.

Symptoms or problems that can happen due to red blood cell breakdown include:

  • decreased hemoglobin level in your blood
  • blood in your urine
  • shortness of breath
  • trouble swallowing
  • tiredness
  • pain in the stomach (abdomen)
  • blood clots
  • erectile dysfunction (ED)

What are the possible side effects of EMPAVELI?

EMPAVELI can cause serious side effects including allergic reactions. Allergic reactions can happen during your EMPAVELI infusion. Stop your EMPAVELI infusion and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these symptoms during your EMPAVELI infusion:

  • chest pain
  • trouble breathing or shortness of breath
  • swelling of your face, tongue, or throat
  • feel faint or pass out

The most common side effects in people with PNH treated with EMPAVELI include injection-site reactions; infections; diarrhea; pain in the stomach (abdomen); respiratory tract infection; pain in the arms, hands, legs, or feet; low potassium in blood; tiredness; viral infection; cough; joint pain; dizziness; headache; and rash.

These are not all of the possible side effects of EMPAVELI. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING regarding risk of serious infections, and Medication Guide for additional information.

Ongoing hemolysis may be causing your PNH symptoms

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare blood disease that involves the body’s immune system acting irregularly.

In PNH, the immune system attacks and destroys its own red blood cells in a process called hemolysishemolysisThe destruction of red blood cells by the complement system..

If hemolysis is not addressed, it can cause lower than normal levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin (Hb)hemoglobin (Hb)The critical protein found inside red blood cells that enables other cells throughout the body to get the oxygen they need. Hemoglobin acts like drops of glue that can “stick” to oxygen and carry it from the lungs to other tissues. It can also “stick” to waste like carbon dioxide to help remove it from the body. in your blood.

This may cause ongoing PNH symptoms, like fatigue, that force you to make compromises in your daily life.

Also, with anemiaanemiaA condition due to the body not having enough healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. caused by low Hb levels, people with PNH may need to get frequent transfusions, which can take a toll on the body over time.

With C5i treatments, some people with PNH may continue to have symptoms

According to a US survey of 122 people with PNH taking a C5iC5iA treatment that targets the C5 protein in the complement system (part of the immune system). C5 is a protein located in the blood that plays an important role in inflammation and intravascular hemolysis caused by the complement system. treatment (35 received eculizumab and 87 received ravulizumab), some of them continued to have low Hb levels, ongoing fatigue, and the need for transfusions. Most people surveyed (97%) received C5i treatment for ≥3 months.

Possible limitations of the survey included:

  • A small number of people surveyed
  • People not being satisfied with their current C5i treatment may have been more motivated to participate
  • Responses being subjective due to how people interpreted and reported their experiences
  • The results cannot be generalized to all people with PNH

While C5i treatments have been shown to be effective in addressing some aspects of hemolysis, below normal Hb, impaired functioning, and the need for transfusions remain common and could mean hemolysis is not under control.

In the survey, people reported:

Not achieving Hb levels ≥10.5 g/dL*

0%

on eculizumab
(20/32)

Low hemoglobin levels inparoxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) icon
0%

on ravulizumab
(47/82)


Ongoing fatigue

0%

on eculizumab
(31/35)

Ongoing fatigue in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) icon
0%

on ravulizumab
(65/87)


Ongoing need for transfusions

0%

on eculizumab
(12/23)

Ongoing need for transfusions in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) icon
0%

on ravulizumab
(7/31)


*Based on responses from 114 of the 122 survey participants who reported their Hb levels.

Fatigue was measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue) scale, which is a type of survey that collects information about the impact of fatigue on different parts of daily life. The scale ranges from 0 to 52. Higher scores mean less fatigue.

In patients who had a lifetime history of a transfusion and were on C5i treatment for at least 1 year. The need for transfusions was defined as 1 or more transfusions in the past 12 months.

Don’t delay!

Talk to your healthcare provider about your ongoing PNH
symptoms and available treatment options.

Explore how EMPAVELI controls hemolysis see how EMPAVELI works

INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is EMPAVELI® (pegcetacoplan)?

EMPAVELI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a disease called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

What is the most important information I should know about EMPAVELI?

EMPAVELI is a medicine that affects your immune system and may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.

EMPAVELI increases your chance of getting serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. These serious infections may quickly become life-threatening or cause death if not recognized and treated early.

  1. You must complete or be up to date with the vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis at least 2 weeks before your first dose of EMPAVELI.
  2. If you have not completed your vaccines and EMPAVELI must be started right away, you should receive the required vaccines as soon as possible.
  3. If you have not been vaccinated and EMPAVELI must be started right away, you should also receive antibiotics to take for as long as your healthcare provider tells you.
  4. If you have been vaccinated against these bacteria in the past, you might need additional vaccines before starting EMPAVELI. Your healthcare provider will decide if you need additional vaccines.
  5. Vaccines do not prevent all infections caused by encapsulated bacteria. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a serious infection:
    • fever with or without shivers or the chills
    • fever with chest pain and cough
    • fever with high heart rate
    • headache and a fever
    • confusion
    • clammy skin
    • fever and a rash
    • fever with breathlessness or fast breathing
    • headache with nausea or vomiting
    • headache with a stiff neck or stiff back
    • body aches with flu-like symptoms
    • eyes sensitive to light

Your healthcare provider will give you a Patient Safety Card about the risk of serious infections. Carry it with you at all times during treatment and for 2 months after your last EMPAVELI dose. Your risk of serious infections may continue for several weeks after your last dose of EMPAVELI. It is important to show this card to any healthcare provider who treats you. This will help them diagnose and treat you quickly.

EMPAVELI is only available through a program called the EMPAVELI Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Before you can take EMPAVELI, your healthcare provider must enroll in the EMPAVELI REMS program, counsel you about the risk of serious infections caused by certain bacteria, give you information about the symptoms of serious infections, make sure that you are vaccinated against serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria and that you receive antibiotics if you need to start EMPAVELI right away and you are not up to date on your vaccines, and give you a Patient Safety Card about your risk of serious infections.

Who should NOT take EMPAVELI?

Do not take EMPAVELI if you:

  • are allergic to pegcetacoplan or any of the ingredients in EMPAVELI.
  • have a serious infection caused by encapsulated bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae type B when you are starting EMPAVELI treatment.

Before you take EMPAVELI, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have an infection or fever.
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. EMPAVELI may harm your unborn baby. Females who are able to become pregnant should have a pregnancy test before starting treatment with EMPAVELI and use an effective method of birth control during treatment with EMPAVELI and for 40 days after the last dose.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if EMPAVELI passes into your breast milk. You should not breastfeed during treatment with EMPAVELI and for 40 days after the last dose.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the vaccines you receive and medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements which could affect your treatment.

If you stop taking EMPAVELI, your healthcare provider will need to monitor you closely for at least 8 weeks after stopping EMPAVELI. Stopping treatment with EMPAVELI may cause a breakdown of red blood cells due to PNH.

Symptoms or problems that can happen due to red blood cell breakdown include:

  • decreased hemoglobin level in your blood
  • blood in your urine
  • shortness of breath
  • trouble swallowing
  • tiredness
  • pain in the stomach (abdomen)
  • blood clots
  • erectile dysfunction (ED)

What are the possible side effects of EMPAVELI?

EMPAVELI can cause serious side effects including allergic reactions. Allergic reactions can happen during your EMPAVELI infusion. Stop your EMPAVELI infusion and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these symptoms during your EMPAVELI infusion:

  • chest pain
  • trouble breathing or shortness of breath
  • swelling of your face, tongue, or throat
  • feel faint or pass out

The most common side effects in people with PNH treated with EMPAVELI include injection-site reactions; infections; diarrhea; pain in the stomach (abdomen); respiratory tract infection; pain in the arms, hands, legs, or feet; low potassium in blood; tiredness; viral infection; cough; joint pain; dizziness; headache; and rash.

These are not all of the possible side effects of EMPAVELI. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING regarding risk of serious infections, and Medication Guide for additional information.

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