Complete adverse effect profile including incidence rates and management
Important Safety Information
This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any unexpected symptoms. For serious or life-threatening side effects, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following clinically significant adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail elsewhere in the labeling: Infections [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] Injection-Related Reactions and Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)] Reduction in Immunoglobulins [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] Liver Injury [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)] Most common adverse reactions (incidence greater than 10%) are upper respiratory tract infection, headache, injection-related reactions, and local injection site reactions.
( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at 1-888-669-6682 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.
Approximately 1500 patients with RMS received KESIMPTA in clinical studies.
In Study 1 and Study 2, 1882 patients with RMS were randomized, 946 of whom were treated with KESIMPTA for a median duration of 85 weeks;
33% of patients receiving KESIMPTA were treated for up to 120 weeks [see Clinical Studies (14.1)] .
The most common adverse reactions occurring in greater than 10% of patients treated with KESIMPTA and more frequently than in patients treated with teriflunomide were upper respiratory tract infections, injection-related reactions (systemic), headache, and injection-site reactions (local).
The most common cause of discontinuation in patients treated with KESIMPTA was low immunoglobulin M (3.3%), defined in trial protocols as IgM at 10% below the lower limit of normal (LLN).
Table 1 summarizes the adverse drug reactions that occurred in Study 1 and Study
Table 1: Adverse Reactions in Patients With RMS With an Incidence of at Least 5% With KESIMPTA and a Greater Incidence Than Teriflunomide (Pooled Study 1 and Study 2) a Includes the following: nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, sinusitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis, viral upper respiratory infection, tonsillitis, acute sinusitis, pharyngotonsillitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis streptococcal, viral rhinitis, sinusitis bacterial, tonsillitis bacterial, viral pharyngitis, viral tonsillitis, chronic sinusitis, nasal herpes, tracheitis.
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Infections: Serious, including life-threatening and fatal infections, have occurred in patients treated with anti-CD20 therapies.
Delay KESIMPTA administration in patients with an active infection until the infection is resolved.
Vaccination with live-attenuated or live vaccines is not recommended during treatment with KESIMPTA and after discontinuation, until B-cell repletion.
( 5.1 ) Injection-Related Reactions and Hypersensitivity Reactions: Management for injection-related reactions and hypersensitivity reactions depends on the type and severity of the reaction.
( 4 , 5.2 ) Reduction in Immunoglobulins: Monitor the level of immunoglobulins at the beginning, during, and after discontinuation of treatment with KESIMPTA until B-cell repletion.
Like all medications, Kesimpta can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes this medication will experience them. Many side effects are dose-dependent and may improve as your body adjusts to the medication. Others may require dose adjustment or medical attention.
Contact your healthcare provider promptly if you experience:
Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience signs of: