Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

1. Panzyga

Descriptions

Immune globulin-ifas injection contains antibodies that make your immune system stronger. It is used for patients who have primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI), including congenital agammaglobulinemia, common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and other severe combined immune system problems. It is also used to raise your platelet counts to control or prevent bleeding in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). This medicine is also used to improve nerve and muscle problems in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).

This medicine is to be given only by or under the supervision of your doctor.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

• Solution

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had 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 performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of immune globulin-ifas injection in children 2 years of age and older. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children with ITP or CIDP or in children younger than 2 years of age to treat primary humoral immunodeficiency, congenital agammaglobulinemia, common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of immune globulin-ifas injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related blood clotting problems or kidney disease, which may require caution for patients receiving immune globulin-ifas injection.

Breastfeeding

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.

Drug Interactions

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. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Pozelimab-bbfg
• Ravulizumab-cwvz

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used 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.

Other Medical Problems

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:

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), history of or
• Blood clotting problems, history of or
• Diabetes or
• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• Hyperproteinemia (high protein in the blood) or
• Hyperviscosity (thick blood) or
• Hypovolemia (low blood volume or major loss of body fluids) or
• Paraproteinemia (paraproteins in the blood) or
• Sepsis (serious infection in the body)—Use with caution. May cause side effects to become worse.

• Bleeding problems, history of or
• Hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood) or
• Kidney problems—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• IgA (immunoglobulin A) deficiency with antibodies against IgA—Should not be used in patients with this condition.

Proper Use

A doctor or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. It is given through a needle placed into one of your veins.

While you are being treated with immune globulin injection, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. Live virus vaccines should not be given for 3 or more months after receiving immune globulin.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress closely for any problems that may be caused by this medicine. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

This medicine may cause fever, chills, flushing, headaches, nausea, and vomiting, especially if you are receiving it for the first time or if you have not received it for more than 8 weeks. Check with your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms.

This medicine is made from donated human blood. Some human blood products have transmitted certain viruses to people who have received them, although the risk is low. Human donors and donated blood are both tested for viruses to keep the transmission risk low. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.

This medicine may cause a serious type of allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, hives, chest pain, dizziness or lightheadedness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth after receiving this medicine. Certain people, including those with IgA (an immunoglobulin) deficiency and antibodies against IgA and a history of hypersensitivity to human immunoglobulin products should not use this medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you start to have a stiff neck, drowsiness, fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, painful eye movements, or eye sensitivity to light. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called aseptic meningitis syndrome (AMS).

This medicine may cause bleeding (hemolysis) or hemolytic anemia. Tell your doctor right away if you have stomach or back pain, dark urine, decreased urination, difficulty with breathing, an increased heart rate, tiredness, or yellow eyes or skin after you receive the medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you start having chest pain, difficult, fast, or noisy breathing, blue lips and fingernails, fever, pale skin, increased sweating, coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum, or swelling of the legs and ankles after receiving this medicine. These may be symptoms of a serious lung problem.

Check with your doctor right away if you start having red or dark brown urine, lower back or side pain, sudden weight gain, swollen face, arms, or legs, decreased urine output, or any problems with urination after you receive this medicine. These may be symptoms of a serious kidney problem.

Your blood pressure might get too high while you are using this medicine. This may cause headaches, dizziness, or blurred vision. You might need to measure your blood pressure at home. If you think your blood pressure is too high, call your doctor right away.

Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. This medicine may affect the results of certain medical tests.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

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

More common

1. Cough
2. cough producing mucus
3. difficulty breathing
4. fever
5. headache
6. pain or tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones
7. pale skin
8. stuffy or runny nose
9. tightness of the chest
10. trouble breathing
11. unusual bleeding or bruising
12. unusual tiredness or weakness

Incidence not known

1. Agitation
2. anxiety
3. back pain
4. black, tarry stools
5. blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
6. bloody or cloudy urine
7. bloody, black, or tarry stools
8. blue lips and fingernails
9. bluish lips or skin
10. blurred vision
11. burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
12. change in color vision
13. changes in skin color
14. chest pain or discomfort
15. chills
16. confusion
17. coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
18. dark urine
19. decreased frequency or amount of urine
20. decreased urination
21. decreased urine output
22. diarrhea
23. difficult or painful urination
24. difficult, fast, noisy breathing
25. difficulty in speaking
26. difficulty seeing at night
27. difficulty swallowing
28. dizziness or lightheadedness
29. dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
30. double vision
31. drowsiness
32. fainting
33. fast or irregular heartbeat
34. hallucinations
35. high fever
36. hives, itching, skin rash
37. inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles
38. inability to speak
39. increased blood pressure
40. increased sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight
41. increased sweating
42. increased thirst
43. irritability
44. joint or muscle pain
45. large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or genitals
46. loss of appetite loss of consciousness
47. lower back or side pain
48. mood or mental changes
49. muscle pain or cramps
50. nausea
51. nervousness
52. noisy breathing
53. noisy, rattling breathing
54. pain, redness, or swelling in the arm or leg
55. painful or difficult urination
56. pounding in the ears
57. puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips or tongue
58. red skin lesions, often with a purple center
59. red, irritated eyes
60. seizures
61. slow heartbeat
62. slow speech
63. sore throat
64. sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
65. stiff neck or back
66. stomach pain
67. sudden decrease in the amount of urine
68. swelling of the face, fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs
69. swollen glands
70. tenderness
71. unusual bleeding or bruising
72. unusual drowsiness, dullness, or feeling of sluggishness
73. vomiting
74. weight gain
75. 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:

More common

1. Blistering, crusting, irritation, itching, or reddening of the skin
2. cracked, dry, scaly skin
3. swelling
4. upper stomach pain

Incidence not known

1. Anxiety
2. bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site
3. bone pain
4. difficulty in moving
5. hair loss, thinning of hair
6. joint swelling
7. nervousness

Other side effects not listed may also 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.

Portions of this document last updated: Feb. 01, 2024

Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/immune-globulin-ifas-intravenous-route/precautions/drg-20444036