Polatuzumab vedotin-piiq Injection

Polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection is used along with bendamustine (Belrapzo, Treanda) and rituximab (Rituxan) in adults to treat a certain type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL; a type of cancer that begins in a type of white blood cells that normally fights infection) that did not improve or improved but returned after treatment with at least two other chemotherapy medications. Polatuzumab vedotin-piiq is in a class of medications called antibody-drug conjugates. It works by killing cancer cells.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Polatuzumab vedotin-piiq comes as a powder to be mixed with liquid and injected intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. It is usually given over 30 to 90 minutes on day 1 of a 21 day cycle. The cycle may be repeated 6 times or long as recommended by your doctor. The length of your treatment depends on how well your body responds to the medication and the side effects that you experience.

You may experience a serious or life-threatening reaction while you receive a dose of polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection or within 24 hours of receiving a dose. Your doctor may tell you to take certain medications before receiving your dose to prevent these reactions. A doctor or nurse will watch you closely to see how your body reacts to polatuzumab vedotin-piiq. Be sure to tell your doctor how you are feeling during your treatment with polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection. Your doctor may prescribe other medications to help prevent or relieve these symptoms. If you experience any of the following symptoms during or after your infusion, tell your doctor immediately: chills, itching, hives, fever, flushing, rash, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, or wheezing.

Your doctor may need to delay your treatment, adjust your dose, or stop your treatment if you experience certain side effects. Be sure to tell your doctor how you are feeling during your treatment with polatuzumab vedotin-piiq.

🔔 Other uses for this medicine

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

🔔 What special precautions should I follow?

Before receiving polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to polatuzumab vedotin-piiq, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in polatuzumab vedotin-piiq 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: carbamazepine (Equetro, Tegretol, Teril); clarithromycin (Biaxin, in PrevPac); medications to treat HIV including efavirenz (Sustiva, in Atripla), indinavir (Crixivan), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), and saquinavir (Invirase); itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), ketoconazole; nefazodone; phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); pioglitazone (Actos); rifabutin (Mycobutin); and rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with polatuzumab vedotin-piiq, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
• tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking, especially St. John’s Wort.
• tell your doctor if you have an infection or have or have ever had liver disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You should not start receiving polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection until a pregnancy test has shown that you are not pregnant. If you are a woman who is able to become pregnant, you must use effective birth control during your treatment and for 3 months after your final dose. If you are male with a female partner who could become pregnant, you must use effective birth control during your treatment and for 5 months after your final dose. Talk to your doctor about methods of birth control that will work for you. If you or your partner become pregnant while receiving polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection, call your doctor. Polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection may harm the fetus.
• tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. Do not breastfeed during your treatment and for 2 months after your final dose.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are receiving polatuzumab vedotin-piiq injection.

🔔 What special dietary instructions should I follow?

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

The last 20 years have seen the cost of medical care increase about 70% faster than the rate of general inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Healthcare inflation dropped to a historical low after 2010 but is again on the rise as of 2018, according to Bloomberg.