PYZCHIVA 45 mg Injectable Solution in Pre-filled Syringe

Introduction

Package Leaflet: Information for the Patient

Pyzchiva45mg solution for injection in pre-filled syringe

ustekinumab

This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring, which will allow for quick identification of new safety information. You can help by reporting any side effects you may get. The last section of the leaflet includes information on how to report side effects.

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

This leaflet has been written for the person taking the medicine. If you are the parent or carer of a child who will be taking Pyzchiva, please read this information carefully.

• Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• 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 or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

Contents of the pack

1. What is Pyzchiva and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before you use Pyzchiva
3. How to use Pyzchiva
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage of Pyzchiva
6. Contents of the pack and further information

1. What is Pyzchiva and what is it used for

What is Pyzchiva

Pyzchiva contains the active substance “ustekinumab”, a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that identify and bind specifically to certain proteins in the body.

Pyzchiva belongs to a group of medicines called “immunosuppressants”. These medicines work by weakening part of the immune system.

What is Pyzchiva used for

Pyzchiva is used to treat the following inflammatory diseases:

• Plaque psoriasis - in adults and children aged 6 years and over
• Psoriatic arthritis - in adults
• Moderate to severe Crohn's disease - in adults

Plaque psoriasis

Plaque psoriasis is a skin disease that causes inflammation affecting the skin and nails. Pyzchiva reduces inflammation and other signs of the disease.

Pyzchiva is used in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who cannot use ciclosporin, methotrexate, or phototherapy, or where these treatments do not work.

Pyzchiva is used in children and adolescents aged 6 years and over with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are not able to tolerate phototherapy or other systemic therapies or where these treatments do not work.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints, which usually occurs with psoriasis. If you have active psoriatic arthritis, you will first receive other medicines. If you do not respond well to these medicines, you may be treated with Pyzchiva to:

• Reduce the signs and symptoms of your disease.
• Improve your physical function.
• Reduce damage to your joints.

Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease of the intestine. If you have Crohn's disease, you will first be given other medicines. If you do not respond adequately or cannot tolerate these medicines, you may be given Pyzchiva to reduce the signs and symptoms of your disease.

2. What you need to know before you use Pyzchiva

Do not use Pyzchiva

• If you are allergic to ustekinumabor any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• If you have an active infectionthat your doctor thinks is important.

If you are not sure if anyof the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using Pyzchiva.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start using Pyzchiva. Your doctor will check how you are before each treatment. Make sure you tell your doctor about any illness you have before each treatment. Your doctor will also ask you if you have recently been near someone who may have tuberculosis. Your doctor will examine you and do a test to check for tuberculosis before you use Pyzchiva. If your doctor thinks you are at risk of tuberculosis, you may be given medicines to treat it.

Watch for serious side effects

Pyzchiva may cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions and infections. You should be aware of certain signs of illness while you are using Pyzchiva. See the complete list of these side effects in “Serious side effects” in section 4.

Tell your doctor before using Pyzchiva:

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to ustekinumab.Talk to your doctor if you are not sure.
• If you have ever had any type of cancer– this is because immunosuppressants like ustekinumab weaken part of the immune system. This may increase the risk of having cancer.
• If you have received treatment for psoriasis with other biologics (a medicine made from a biological source and usually given by injection)– the risk of having cancer may be higher.
• If you have had a recent infection.
• If you have any new or changing lesionswithin the area of psoriasis or on intact skin.
• If you are taking any other treatment for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis– such as any other immunosuppressant or phototherapy (when your body is treated with a type of ultraviolet light (UV)). These treatments may also weaken part of the immune system. The use of these treatments together with ustekinumab has not been studied. However, it is possible that it may increase the likelihood of suffering from diseases related to a weaker immune system.
• If you are receiving or have ever received allergy shots– it is not known if ustekinumab may affect these treatments.
• If you are 65 years of age or older– you are more likely to get infections.

If you are not sure if you have any of these conditions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using Pyzchiva.

Some patients have experienced lupus-like reactions during treatment with ustekinumab, including cutaneous lupus or lupus-like syndrome. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience a red, raised, and scaly skin rash, sometimes with a darker border, in areas of skin exposed to the sun or if accompanied by joint pain.

Heart attacks and strokes

In a study in patients with psoriasis treated with ustekinumab, heart attacks and strokes have been observed. Your doctor will regularly check your risk factors for heart disease and stroke to ensure they are being treated properly. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience chest pain, weakness, or unusual sensation on one side of your body, facial paralysis, or abnormalities in speech or vision.

Children and adolescents

Ustekinumab is not recommended for use in children under 6 years of age with psoriasis or in children under 18 years of age with psoriatic arthritis or Crohn's disease, as it has not been studied in this age group.

Using Pyzchiva with other medicines, vaccines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist:

• If you are using, have recently used, or might use other medicines.
• If you have been vaccinated recently or are going to have a vaccination. Certain types of vaccines (live vaccines) must not be given while you are using Pyzchiva.
• If you received Pyzchiva during pregnancy, inform your baby's doctor about your treatment with Pyzchiva before your baby receives any vaccination, including live vaccines such as the BCG vaccine (used to prevent tuberculosis). Live vaccines should not be given to your baby in the first six months after birth if you received Pyzchiva during pregnancy, unless your baby's doctor recommends otherwise.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

• It is preferable to avoid the use of Pyzchiva during pregnancy. The effects of ustekinumab in pregnant women are not known. If you are a woman of childbearing age, you are advised to avoid becoming pregnant and to use adequate contraceptive measures while using ustekinumab and for at least 15 weeks after the last treatment with ustekinumab.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant.
• Pyzchiva may pass into the placenta to the fetus. If you received Pyzchiva during pregnancy, your baby may have a higher risk of getting an infection.
• It is important that you inform your baby's doctors and other healthcare professionals if you received Pyzchiva during your pregnancy before your baby receives any vaccination. Live vaccines, such as the BCG vaccine (used to prevent tuberculosis), should not be given to your baby in the first six months after birth if you received Pyzchiva during pregnancy, unless your baby's doctor recommends otherwise.
• Ustekinumab may be excreted in breast milk in very small amounts. Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. You and your doctor will decide whether you should breastfeed or use ustekinumab. Do not do both.

Driving and using machines

The ability to drive and use machines may be unaffected or only slightly affected by ustekinumab.

Pyzchiva contains polysorbate 80 (E433)

This medicine contains 0.02 mg of polysorbate 80 (E433) in each pre-filled syringe (1 ml) equivalent to 0.02 mg/0.5 ml. Polysorbates may cause allergic reactions. Tell your doctor if you have any known allergy.

3. How to use Pyzchiva

Pyzchiva should be used under the guidance and supervision of a doctor with experience in the treatment of the conditions for which Pyzchiva is indicated.

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. If you are not sure, check with your doctor. Ask your doctor when you should have the injections and about follow-up appointments.

How much Pyzchiva is given

Your doctor will decide how much Pyzchiva you need to use and how long your treatment will last.

Adults aged 18 years and over

Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis

• The recommended starting dose is 45 mg of Pyzchiva. Patients weighing more than 100 kilograms (kg) may start with a dose of 90 mg instead of 45 mg.
• After the initial dose, you will take the next dose 4 weeks later and then every 12 weeks. The following doses are usually the same as the starting dose.

Crohn's disease

• During treatment, your doctor will give you the first dose of approximately 6 mg/kg of Pyzchiva through a drip in a vein in your arm (intravenous infusion). After the initial dose, you will receive the next dose of 90 mg of Pyzchiva 8 weeks later and then every 12 weeks, given as an injection under the skin (“subcutaneously”).
• In some patients, after the first injection under the skin, 90 mg of Pyzchiva will be given every 8 weeks. Your doctor will decide when you should have the next dose.

Children and adolescents aged 6 years and over

Psoriasis

• Pyzchiva is not indicated for pediatric patients with plaque psoriasis weighing less than 60 kg, as Pyzchiva is only available in pre-filled syringes of 45 mg and 90 mg for subcutaneous injection. Therefore, it is not possible to administer Pyzchiva to patients who require less than a full dose of 45 mg. If another dose is required, another formulation of ustekinumab 45 mg solution for injection in vials should be used, which allows for weight-based administration.
• Your doctor will tell you the correct dose for you, including the amount (volume) of Pyzchiva to inject to give the correct dose. The suitable dose for you will depend on your body weight at the time of each dose.
• If you weigh between 60 kg and 100 kg, the recommended dose is 45 mg of Pyzchiva.
• If you weigh more than 100 kg, the recommended dose is 90 mg of Pyzchiva.
• After the initial dose, you will take the next dose 4 weeks later, and then every 12 weeks.

How Pyzchiva is given

• Pyzchiva is given as an injection under the skin (“subcutaneously”). At the start of your treatment, medical or nursing staff may inject Pyzchiva for you.

• However, you and your doctor may decide that you can inject Pyzchiva yourself. In this case, you will be trained on how to inject Pyzchiva yourself.

• For instructions on how to inject Pyzchiva, see “Administration instructions” at the end of this leaflet.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about how to inject yourself.

If you use more Pyzchiva than you should

If you have used or been given too much Pyzchiva, talk to your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Always carry the medicine box with you, even if it is empty.

If you forget to use Pyzchiva

If you miss a dose, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses.

If you stop using Pyzchiva

Stopping ustekinumab is not dangerous. However, if you stop using it, your symptoms may come back.

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

4. Possible Adverse Effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them.

Severe Adverse Effects

Some patients may have severe adverse effects that may require urgent treatment.

Allergic Reactions– these may require urgent treatment. Contact your doctor or get emergency medical help immediately if you notice any of the following signs.

• Severe allergic reactions ("anaphylaxis") are rare in the population using ustekinumab (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people). The signs include:

• difficulty breathing and swallowing,
• low blood pressure, which can cause dizziness or mild headaches,
• swelling of the face, lips, mouth, or throat.

• Common signs of an allergic reaction include skin rash and hives (these may affect up to 1 in 100 people).

In rare cases, allergic reactions at the lung level and lung inflammation have been reported in patients treated with ustekinumab. Inform your doctor immediately if you have symptoms such as cough, difficulty breathing, and fever.

If you have a severe allergic reaction, your doctor may decide that you should not use Pyzchiva again.

Infections– these may require urgent treatment. Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs.

• Nose or throat infections and the common cold are frequent (may affect up to 1 in 10 people).
• Chest infections are uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people).
• Inflammation of the tissues under the skin ("cellulitis") is uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people).
• Herpes (a type of painful rash with blisters) is uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people).

Ustekinumab may affect your ability to fight infections. Some of them could become serious and be caused by viruses, fungi, bacteria (including tuberculosis), or parasites, and include infections that occur mainly in people with a weakened immune system (opportunistic infections). Opportunistic infections of the brain (encephalitis, meningitis), lungs, and eyes have been reported in patients receiving treatment with ustekinumab.

You should watch for signs of infection while using ustekinumab. These include:

• fever, flu-like symptoms, night sweats, weight loss,
• feeling tired or having difficulty breathing; cough that does not go away,
• having hot, red, and painful skin or having a painful skin rash with blisters,
• burning when urinating,
• diarrhea,

• visual impairment or loss of vision,
• headache, neck stiffness, photosensitivity, nausea, or confusion.

Communicate with your doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs of infection, as they may be signs of infections such as chest infections, skin infections, herpes, or opportunistic infections that could have serious complications. You should also inform your doctor if you have any type of infection that does not go away or comes back. Your doctor may decide that you should not use ustekinumab until the infection goes away. Also, contact your doctor if you have any open cuts or ulcers that could become infected.

Shedding of the Skin – increased redness and shedding of the skin on a large surface of the body may be symptoms of erythrodermic psoriasis or exfoliative dermatitis, which are serious skin disorders. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should inform your doctor immediately.

Other Adverse Effects

Frequent Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Feeling tired
• Feeling dizzy
• Headache
• Itching ("pruritus")
• Back, muscle, or joint pain
• Sore throat
• Redness and pain at the injection site
• Sinusitis

Uncommon Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Dental infections
• Vaginal yeast infections
• Depression
• Nasal congestion or stuffiness
• Bleeding, bruising, hardening, swelling, and itching at the injection site
• Feeling weak
• Drooping eyelid and sinking of the muscles on one side of the face ("facial paralysis" or "Bell's palsy"), which is usually temporary
• A change in psoriasis with redness and new small, yellow, or white skin blisters, sometimes accompanied by fever (pustular psoriasis)
• Scaling of the skin (skin exfoliation)
• Acne

Rare Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

• Redness and shedding of the skin on a large surface of the body, which may cause itching or pain (exfoliative dermatitis). Similar symptoms may develop as a natural change in psoriasis symptoms (erythrodermic psoriasis)
• Inflammation of small blood vessels, which may cause a skin rash with small red or purple bumps, fever, or joint pain (vasculitis)

Very Rare Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)

• Blisters on the skin, which may be red and cause itching and pain (bullous pemphigoid).
• Lupus-like syndrome or cutaneous lupus (red, raised, and scaly skin rash in sun-exposed areas, possibly accompanied by joint pain).

Reporting Adverse Effects

If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect that is not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the national reporting system included in Appendix V. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Pyzchiva

• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Store in a refrigerator (2°C and 8°C). Do not freeze.
• Keep the pre-filled syringe in the outer packaging to protect it from light.
• If necessary, individual pre-filled syringes of Pyzchiva can also be stored at room temperature up to 30°C for a maximum single period of up to 1 month in their original carton to protect them from light. Write the date when the pre-filled syringe is first removed from the refrigerator in the space provided on the outer packaging. At the end of this period, it can be stored in the refrigerator again. Discard the syringe if it is not used within 1 month of storage at room temperature or from the original expiry date, whichever comes first.
• Do not shake Pyzchiva pre-filled syringes. Prolonged vigorous shaking may damage the product.

Do not use this medicine:

• After the expiry date stated on the label and carton after "EXP". The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.
• If the liquid changes color, is cloudy, or has foreign particles floating in it (see section 6 "Appearance of Pyzchiva and package contents").
• If you know or believe that it has been exposed to extreme temperatures (such as accidental heating or freezing).
• If the product has been shaken vigorously.

Pyzchiva is for single use. You should discard any unused product left in the syringe. Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medicines you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.

6. Container Contents and Additional Information

Composition of Pyzchiva

• The active substance is ustekinumab. Each pre-filled syringe contains 45 mg of ustekinumab in 0.5 ml.
• The other ingredients are histidine, histidine monohydrochloride, polysorbate 80 (E 433), sucrose, water for injections.

Appearance of Pyzchiva and Container Contents

Pyzchiva is a clear, colorless to pale yellow injectable solution. The solution may contain a few translucent or white protein particles. It is presented in a container that contains 1 pre-filled syringe of 1 ml glass, with 45 mg of ustekinumab in 0.5 ml of injectable solution.

Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer

Samsung Bioepis NL. B.V.

Olof Palmestraat 10

2616 LR Delft

Netherlands

You can request more information about this medicinal product from the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:

Traceability

In order to improve the traceability of biological medicinal products, the name and batch number of the administered product should be clearly recorded.

Date of last revision of this leaflet: MM/YYYY

Other sources of information

Detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the European Medicines Agency website: https://www.ema.europa.eu/.

Administration Instructions

At the start of treatment, your healthcare professional will help you with your first injection. However, you and your doctor may decide that you can inject Pyzchiva yourself. If so, they will teach you how to inject Pyzchiva. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about administering the injections.

• Do not mix Pyzchiva with other injectable liquids.
• Do not shake the Pyzchiva pre-filled syringes. The medicine may deteriorate if shaken vigorously. Do not use the medicine if it has been shaken vigorously.

Figure 1 shows what the pre-filled syringe looks like.

Figure 1

1. Check the number of pre-filled syringes and prepare the materials:

Preparation for using the pre-filled syringe

• Take the pre-filled syringe(s) out of the refrigerator. Leave the pre-filled syringe out of the box for 30 minutes. This will allow the liquid to reach a comfortable temperature for injection (room temperature). Do not heat the pre-filled syringe in any other way (e.g., do not heat it in the microwave or in hot water). Do not remove the needle cap while waiting for it to reach room temperature.
• Hold the pre-filled syringe by the body with the needle cap pointing upwards.
• Do not hold the pre-filled syringe by the plunger head, plunger, or needle cap.
• Do not remove the plunger at any time.
• Do not remove the pre-filled syringe cap until instructed to do so.

Check the pre-filled syringe(s) to ensure that

• The number of pre-filled syringes and concentration are correct
• • If your dose is 45 mg, you will have one pre-filled syringe of 45 mg of Pyzchiva.
  • If your dose is 90 mg, you will have two pre-filled syringes of 45 mg of Pyzchiva and you will need to administer two injections. Choose two different sites for these injections (e.g., one in the right thigh and one in the left thigh), and inject them one after the other.
• It is the correct medicine.
• The expiration date has not passed.
• The pre-filled syringe is not damaged.
• The solution in the pre-filled syringe is clear and colorless to pale yellow.
• The solution in the pre-filled syringe does not have an abnormal color, is not cloudy, or contains foreign particles.
• The solution in the pre-filled syringe is not frozen.

Prepare all the materials you need and place them on a clean surface, including antiseptic wipes, cotton or gauze, and a container for sharp objects.

1. Choose and prepare the injection site:

Choose the injection site (see Figure 2).

• Pyzchiva is administered by injection under the skin (subcutaneously).
• Some suitable injection sites are the upper thigh or the abdomen, at least 5 cm from the navel.
• As much as possible, do not use skin areas that show signs of psoriasis.
• If someone else is administering the injection, they can also choose the upper arm as an injection site.

*The recommended injection sites are indicated in gray.

Figure 2

Prepare the injection site

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and lukewarm water.
• Clean the skin at the injection site with an antiseptic wipe.
• Do nottouch this area again before administering the injection.
• Do notfan or blow on the cleaned area

1. Remove the needle cap (see Figure 3):
• The needle cap must notbe removed until you are ready to inject.
• Hold the pre-filled syringe and hold the body of the pre-filled syringe with one hand.
• Remove the needle cap and dispose of it. Do not touch the plunger while doing this.

Figure 3

• You may notice an air bubble in the pre-filled syringe or a drop of liquid at the end of the needle. Both are normal and do not need to be removed.
• Do not touch the needle or allow it to touch any surface.
• Do not use the pre-filled syringe if it has been dropped without the needle cap. If this happens, inform your doctor or pharmacist.
• Inject the dose immediately after removing the needle cap.

1. Inject the dose:
• Hold the pre-filled syringe with one hand between your index and middle fingers, place your thumb on the plunger head, and with your other hand gently pinch a fold of disinfected skin with your thumb and index finger. Do not squeeze.
• Do not remove the plunger at any time.
• With a single rapid motion, insert the needle through the skin until it reaches as far as it can go (see Figure 4).

Figure 4

• Inject all the medicine by pushing the plunger until the plunger head is fully between the wings of the needle protector (see Figure 5).

Figure 5

• When you have pushed the plunger as far as it will go, maintain pressure on the plunger head, remove the needle, and release the skin (see Figure 6).

Figure 6

• Slowly remove your thumb from the plunger head so that the empty pre-filled syringe moves forward until the needle is completely covered by the needle protector, as shown in Figure 7:

Figure 7

1. After the injection:
• Press the injection site with an antiseptic wipe for a few seconds after the injection.
• A small amount of blood or liquid may appear at the injection site. This is normal.
• You can press the injection site with a cotton ball or gauze and hold it for 10 seconds.
• Do not rub the skin at the injection site. You can cover the injection site with a band-aid if necessary.

1. Disposal:
• Used syringes must be placed in a puncture-resistant container, similar to a container for sharp objects (see Figure 8). For your safety and health and the safety of others, never reuse the syringe. Dispose of your sharp objects container according to local regulations.
• Antiseptic wipes and other materials can be discarded in the trash.

Figure 8