Plegridy 63 micrograms/0.94 mL injectable solution in pre-filled syringe

Introduction

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

Plegridy 63 micrograms solution for injection in pre-filled syringe

Plegridy 94 micrograms solution for injection in pre-filled syringe

Plegridy 125 micrograms solution for injection in pre-filled syringe

peginterferon beta-1a

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again.

• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

Contents of the pack

1. What is Plegridy and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before you use Plegridy

1. How to use Plegridy
2. Possible side effects
3. Storage of Plegridy

1. Contents of the pack and further information
2. Instructions for injecting Plegridy pre-filled syringe

1. What is Plegridy and what is it used for

What is Plegridy

The active substance in Plegridy is peginterferon beta-1a. Peginterferon beta-1a is a long-acting form of interferon. Interferons are natural substances produced in the body that help protect against infections and diseases.

What is Plegridy used for

This medicine is used to treat Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in adults aged 18 years or over.

MS is a long-term disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord, in which the body's immune system (its natural defenses) damages the protective covering (myelin) that surrounds the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This disrupts the messages between the brain and the rest of the body, causing the symptoms of MS.

Patients with relapsing-remitting MS have periods when the disease is not active (remission) between flare-ups of symptoms (relapses).

Each patient has specific MS symptoms.These can be:

• feeling unsteady or dizzy, walking problems, muscle stiffness and spasms, tiredness, numbness in the face, arms, or legs;
• sharp or ongoing pain, bladder and bowel problems, sexual problems, and vision problems;
• difficulty thinking and concentrating, depression.

How does Plegridy work?

Plegridy is thought to work by preventing the immune system from damaging the brain and spinal cord.This may help reduce the number of relapses you have and slow down the disabling effects of MS. Treatment with Plegridy may help prevent MS from getting worse, although it will not cure MS.

2. What you need to know before you use Plegridy

Do not use Plegridy

• to peginterferon beta-1a, interferon beta-1a, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). See the symptoms of an allergic reaction in section 4;

• or suicidal thoughts.

Warnings and precautions

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• depressionor mood problems;
• suicidal thoughts.

• Your doctor may still prescribe Plegridy, but it is important that they know if you have had depression or other mood problems in the past.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist, or nursebefore injecting Plegridy if you have any of the following conditions,as they may get worse while using Plegridy:

• severe kidney or liver problems;
• injection site irritation,which can cause skin and tissue damage

(injection site necrosis). When you are ready to administer, carefully follow the instructions described in section 7 "Instructions for injecting Plegridy pre-filled syringe", at the end of this leaflet. This reduces the risk of injection site reactions;

• epilepsyor other seizure disorders, not controlled with medication;

• heart problemsthat can cause symptoms such as chest pain (angina),especially after any activity; swelling of ankles, difficulty breathing (congestive heart failure)or an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias);
• thyroid problems;
• low white blood cell or platelet counts,which can increase the risk of infection or bleeding.

Other things to consider when using Plegridy

• You will need blood tests to check your blood cell counts, blood chemistry, and liver enzyme levels. These tests will be done before you start using Plegridy, at regular intervals after starting treatment with Plegridy, and then periodically during treatment, even if you have no specific symptoms. These blood tests will be in addition to the tests that are normally done to monitor your MS.

• Your thyroid function will be checked regularly or at any time your doctor thinks it is necessary.
• Blood clots may form in small blood vessels during treatment. These blood clots could affect your kidneys. This can happen after several weeks or several years after starting treatment with Plegridy. Your doctor may want to check your blood pressure, blood (platelet count), and kidney function.

If you accidentally prick yourself or someone else with the Plegridy needle, wash the affected area with soap and water immediatelyand contact a doctor or nurse as soon as possible.

Children and adolescents

Plegridy must not be usedin children and adolescents under 18 years. The safety and efficacy of Plegridy in this age group are not known.

Other medicines and Plegridy

Plegridy should be used with caution when given with other medicines that are processed in the body by a group of proteins called "cytochrome P450" (e.g., some medicines used for epilepsy or depression).

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used, or might use any other medicines, especially those used to treat epilepsy or depression. This includes any medicine obtained without a prescription.

On occasion, you may need to remind other healthcare professionals that you are being treated with Plegridy, for example, if they prescribe you other medicines or if they do a blood test. Plegridy may interact with other medicines or with the test results.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.

No harmful effects on the breastfed child are expected. Plegridy can be used during breastfeeding.

Driving and using machines

Plegridy has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive and use machines.

Plegridy contains sodium

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg); this is essentially "sodium-free".

3. How to use Plegridy

Follow the instructions for administration of this medicine exactly as told by your doctor or pharmacist. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

Usual dose

One injection of Plegridy 125 micrograms every 14 days (every 2 weeks). Try to use Plegridy at the same time on the same day each time you inject.

Starting Plegridy

If you are going to use Plegridy for the first time, your doctor may advise you to start by gradually increasing the dose so you can get used to the effects of Plegridy before taking the full dose. You will be given a starter pack that contains the first 2 injections: an orange syringe with Plegridy 63 micrograms (for day 0) and a blue syringe with Plegridy 94 micrograms (for day 14).

Then you will be given a maintenance pack that contains grey syringes with Plegridy 125 micrograms (for day 28 and then every 2 weeks).

Read the instructions in section 7 "Instructions for injecting Plegridy pre-filled syringe" at the end of this leaflet before you start using Plegridy.

Use the injection record printed on the inside of the starter pack lid to keep a record of your injection dates.

Self-injection

Plegridy is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Alternate the injection site. Do not always use the same injection site for the next injections.

You can inject Plegridy without the help of your doctor if you have been taught how to do it.

• Read and follow the advice given in the instructions in section 7 "Instructions for injecting Plegridy pre-filled syringe" before you start.

• If you have problemshandling the syringe, talk to your doctor or nurse who can help you.

Duration of treatment with Plegridy

Your doctor will tell you how long you should use Plegridy. It is important that you use Plegridy regularly. Do not make any changes that your doctor has not told you to make.

If you use more Plegridy than you should

You should only inject Plegridy once every 2 weeks.

• If you have injected more than one dose of Plegridy within 7 days, contact your doctor or nurse immediately.

If you forget to use Plegridy

You should inject Plegridy once every 2 weeks. This regular schedule helps to keep the treatment as consistent as possible.

If you forget to inject on your usual day, inject a dose as soon as you can and continue as usual. However, do not inject more than once in a 7-day period. Do not give yourself two injections to make up for a forgotten injection.

If you have any other questions about using this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Serious side effects

• Liver problems

(common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

If you get any of the following symptoms:

• yellowing of the skin or the white of the eyes;
• widespread itching;
• feeling sick (nausea and vomiting);
• bruises that appear easily on the skin.
• • Contact a doctor immediatelyas these may be signs of a possible liver problem.

• Depression

(common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

If you get:

• unusual feelings of sadness, anxiety, or hopelessness; or
• suicidal thoughts.

• Contact a doctor immediately.

• Severe allergic reactions

(uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

If you get any of the following:

• difficulty breathing;
• swelling around the face (lips, tongue, or throat);
• skin rash or redness.
• Contact a doctor immediately.

• Seizures

(uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

If you have a seizure or fit.

• Contact a doctor immediately.

• Injection site damage

(rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

If you get any of the following symptoms:

• any open sores on the skin along with swelling, inflammation, or fluid leakage around the injection site.

• Contact a doctor for advice.

• Kidney problems including scarring that can reduce kidney function

(rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

If you get any or all of these symptoms:

• foamy urine;
• fatigue;
• swelling, especially of ankles and eyelids, and weight gain.
• • Contact a doctor as these may be signs of a possible kidney problem.

• Blood problems

(rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

The following may occur: blood clots in small blood vessels that can affect your kidneys (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or hemolytic uremic syndrome). The symptoms may include increased bruising, bleeding, fever, extreme weakness, headache, dizziness, or fainting. Your doctor may find changes in your blood and kidney function.

If you get any or all of these symptoms:

• increased bruising or bleeding;
• extreme weakness;
• headache, dizziness, or fainting.

• Contact a doctor immediately.

Other side effects

Very common side effects

(may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• flu-like symptoms. These symptoms are not actually flu, see below. You cannot pass them on to anyone;
• headache;
• muscle pain (myalgia);
• joint pain, arm, leg, or neck pain (arthralgia);
• chills;
• fever;
• weakness and tiredness (asthenia);
• redness, itching, or pain around the injection site.
• If you are concerned about any of these effects, contact a doctor.

Flu-like symptoms

Flu-like symptoms are more common when you first start using Plegridy. As you continue to use the injections, the symptoms will gradually disappear. See below for some simple ways to help reduce the impact of flu-like symptoms if you get them.

Three simple ways to help reduce the impact of flu-like symptoms:

1. Be aware of the time you inject Plegridy. The start and end of flu-like symptoms are different for each patient. On average, flu-like symptoms start about 10 hours after the injection and last between 12 and 24 hours.

1. Take paracetamol or ibuprofen 30 minutes before the Plegridy injection and continue to take it for as long as the flu-like symptoms last. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how much to take and for how long.
2. If you have a fever, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Common side effects

(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• feeling sick (nausea or vomiting);
• hair loss (alopecia);
• itching of the skin (pruritus);
• increased body temperature;
• changes around the injection site such as swelling, inflammation, bruising, warmth, rash, or change in color;
• changes in the blood that can cause tiredness or reduced ability to fight infections;
• increased liver enzymes in the blood (will show up in blood tests).
• If you are concerned about any of these effects, contact a doctor.

Uncommon side effects

(may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• hives;
• changes in the blood that can cause unexplained bruising or bleeding.

• If you are concerned about any of these effects, contact a doctor.

Frequency not known

(cannot be estimated from the available data)

• Pulmonary arterial hypertension: a disease in which there is a significant narrowing of the blood vessels in the lungs, which causes an increase in blood pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was observed at different times, even several years after starting treatment with interferon beta medicines.

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if it is possible that they are not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the national reporting system listed in Appendix V. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

In order to improve the traceability of this medicine, your doctor or pharmacist should record the name and batch number of the medicine given to you in your medical records. You may also want to make a note of this information in case you are asked for it in the future.

5. Storage of Plegridy

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label and carton after CAD/EXP. The expiry date is the last day of the month shown.

• Store in the original packaging to protect from light. Only open the pack when you need a new syringe.

• Store in a refrigerator(2°C to 8°C).

• Do not freeze. Discard any Plegridy that has been frozen by accident.

• Plegridy can be stored at room temperature (up to 25°C) for a maximum of 30 days, but it must be protected from light.
• • The packs can be taken out and put back in the refrigerator more than once if necessary.
  • Make sure that the time the syringes spend outside the refrigerator does not exceed30 days in total.

• Discard any syringe that has been out of the refrigerator for more than 30 days.

• If you are not sure how many days a syringe has been out of the refrigerator, discard the syringe.

• Do not use this medicine if you notice that:
• • the syringe is broken.

• the solution has changed color, is cloudy, or you can see particles in it.

• Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and any unused medicines. This will help protect the environment.

6. Package Contents and Additional Information

Plegridy Composition

The active substance is peginterferon beta-1a.

Each 63 microgram pre-filled syringe contains 63 micrograms of peginterferon beta-1a in 0.5 ml of injectable solution.

Each 94 microgram pre-filled syringe contains 94 micrograms of peginterferon beta-1a in 0.5 ml of injectable solution.

Each 125 microgram pre-filled syringe contains 125 micrograms of peginterferon beta-1a in 0.5 ml of injectable solution.

The other ingredients are sodium acetate trihydrate, glacial acetic acid, arginine hydrochloride, polysorbate 20, and water for injectable preparations (see section 2 “Plegridy contains sodium”).

Appearance and Package Contents of the Product

Plegridy is a clear and colorless injectable solution in a pre-filled glass syringe with an attached needle.

Package sizes:

• The Plegridy starter pack contains one orange 63 microgram pre-filled syringe and one blue 94 microgram pre-filled syringe.
• The grey 125 microgram syringes are supplied in a pack containing 2 or 6 pre-filled syringes.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Biogen Netherlands B.V.

Prins Mauritslaan 13

1171 LP Badhoevedorp

Netherlands

Manufacturer

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Denmark ApS

Biotek Allé 1

DK-3400 Hillerød

Denmark

Biogen Netherlands B.V.

Prins Mauritslaan 13

1171 LP Badhoevedorp

Netherlands

You can request more information about this medicine from the local representative of the marketing authorisation holder:

Date of last revision of this leaflet:01/2025.

Other sources of information

Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency website: http://www.ema.europa.eu.

• Instructions for injecting the Plegridy pre-filled syringe How to inject Plegridy

Read the instructions before you start using Plegridy and each time you get a new prescription. There may be new information. This information does not replace talking to your doctor or nurse about your disease or treatment.

Note:

1. Before using the Plegridy pre-filled syringe for the first time, your doctor or nurse should teach you or your caregiver how to prepare and inject the Plegridy pre-filled syringe.

1. The Plegridy pre-filled syringe is for subcutaneous injection only (under the skin).

1. Each Plegridy pre-filled syringe can only be used once.

Do notshare the Plegridy pre-filled syringe with anyone else to avoid spreading infections.

Do notuse more than one pre-filled syringe every 14 days (every 2 weeks).

Do notuse the syringe if it has been dropped or is visibly damaged.

Dosing Schedule

The starter pack contains your first two injections to gradually adjust your dose. Choose the correct syringe from the pack.

Do not usemore than one pre-filled syringe in a 14-day period (every 2 weeks).

Materials needed for injecting Plegridy

Plegridy pre-filled syringe (see Figure A)

Before use – Parts of the Plegridy pre-filled syringe (Figure A)

Additional materials not included in the pack (see Figure B):

• alcohol swab

• gauze
• adhesive bandage

Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse for instructions on how to dispose of used syringes.

Preparation for injection

Step 1: Remove the pre-filled syringe from the refrigerator

• Remove a Plegridy pack from the refrigerator and choose the correct pre-filled syringe from the pack.
• Close the pack and put it back in the refrigerator after removing the pre-filled syringe.
• Let the Plegridy pre-filled syringe reach room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Do notuse external heat sources, such as warm water, to warm up the pre-filled syringe.

Step 2: Gather materials and wash your hands

• For preparation, use a flat, clean, and well-lit surface, such as a table. Gather all the necessary materials for self-administration or administration by someone else.
• Wash your hands with water and soap.

Administration of the injection

After the injection

Step 9: Disposal of the used Plegridy pre-filled syringe

• Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse about the correct way to dispose of the used syringe.

Step 10: Care of the injection site

• If necessary, apply a gauze or adhesive bandage to the injection site.

Step 11: Check the injection site

1. After 2 hours, check the injection site for redness, swelling, or pain to the touch.

1. If you have a skin reaction that does not go away in a few days, contact your doctor or nurse.

Record the date and site

1. Record the date and site of each injection.
2. For the first injections, you can use the recording box printed on the inside of the starter pack lid.

General warnings

Do notreuse the Plegridy pre-filled syringe.

Do notshare the Plegridy pre-filled syringe.

1. Keep the Plegridy pre-filled syringe and all medicines out of the reach of children.

Storage

1. It is recommended to store in a refrigerator at a controlled temperature between 2°C and 8°C in the original closed packaging to protect from light.

1. If necessary, Plegridy can be stored in the original closed packaging at room temperature up to 25°C for a period of up to 30 days.

1. If necessary, Plegridy can be taken out of the refrigerator and put back. The total combined time out of the refrigerator at room temperature up to 25°C should not exceed

30 days.

Do notfreeze or expose to high temperatures.