STELARA 90 mg injectable solution in pre-filled syringe
ustekinumab
Read this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine, because it contains important information for you.
This leaflet has been written for the person using the medicine. If you are the parent or carer of a child to whom you will administer Stelara, please read this information carefully.
What is Stelara
Stelara contains the active ingredient “ustekinumab”, a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that specifically identify and bind to certain proteins in the body.
Stelara belongs to a group of medicines called “immunosuppressants”. These medicines work by weakening part of the immune system.
What is Stelara used for
Stelara is used to treat the following inflammatory diseases:
Plaque psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis is a skin disease that causes inflammation affecting the skin and nails. Stelara reduces inflammation and other symptoms of the disease.
Stelara is used in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who cannot use ciclosporin, methotrexate, or phototherapy, or where these treatments do not work.
Stelara is used in children and adolescents 6 years of age and older with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who cannot tolerate phototherapy or other systemic therapies, or where these treatments do not work.
Psiatic arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease, which is usually accompanied by psoriasis. If you have active psoriatic arthritis, you will first receive other medications. If you do not respond well to these medications, you may be treated with Stelara to:
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 medications. If you do not respond adequately or cannot tolerate those medications, you may be given Stelara to reduce the signs and symptoms of your disease.
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the intestine. If you have ulcerative colitis, you will first be given other medications. If you do not respond sufficiently or cannot tolerate those medications, you may be given Stelara to reduce the signs and symptoms of your disease.
No use Stelara:
If you are unsure if any of the above points concern you, speak with your doctor or pharmacist before using Stelara.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to use Stelara. Your doctor will check how you are before each treatment. Make sure to inform your doctor about any illness you suffer from before each treatment. Your doctor will also ask if you have recently been near someone who may have tuberculosis. Your doctor will examine you and perform a test for tuberculosis detection before using Stelara. If your doctor thinks you are at risk of tuberculosis, they may give you medication to treat it.
Watch for severe side effects
Stelara may cause severe side effects, including allergic reactions and infections. You must pay attention to certain signs of illness while using Stelara. See the complete list of these side effects in “Severe side effects” of section 4.
Tell your doctor before using Stelara:
If you are unsure of not suffering from any of these conditions, speak with your doctor or pharmacist before using Stelara.
Children and adolescents
Stelara 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, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis, as it has not been studied in this age group.
Using Stelara with other medications, vaccines
Inform your doctor or pharmacist:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Driving and operating machinery
The influence of Stelara on the ability to drive and operate machinery is negligible or insignificant.
Stelara should be used under the guidance and supervision of a doctor experienced in treating the conditions for which Stelara is indicated.
Always follow exactly the administration instructions for this medication as indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, ask your doctor. Ask your doctor when to administer the injections and about follow-up appointments.
What amount of Stelara is administered
Your doctor will decide the amount of Stelara you need to use and the duration of treatment.
Adults 18 years of age and older
Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis
Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
Children and adolescents 6 years of age and older Psoriasis
How Stelara is administered
Consult with your doctor if you have any questions about self-injecting.
If you use more Stelara than you should
If you have used or have been given too much Stelara, speak immediately with your doctor or pharmacist.
Always carry the medication box with you, even if it is empty.
If you forget to use Stelara
If you forget a dose, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Do not take a double dose to compensate for the missed doses.
If you interrupt treatment with Stelara
Stopping Stelara is not hazardous. However, if you stop, your symptoms may return.
If you have any other questions about using this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Severe side effects
Some patients may experience severe side effects that may require urgent treatment.
Allergic reactions – these may require urgent treatment. Contact your doctor or seek immediate medical help if you notice any of the following symptoms.
In rare cases, pulmonary allergic reactions and lung inflammation have been reported in patients treated with ustekinumab. Inform your doctor immediately if you have symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, and fever.
If you have a severe allergic reaction, your doctor may decide that you should not use Stelara again.
Infections – these may require urgent treatment. Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
Stelara may affect your ability to fight infections, and some of them may be severe.
You should monitor the signs of infection while using Stelara. These include:
Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs of infection, as they may be signs of infections such as pneumonia, skin infections, or herpes that can have serious complications. You should also inform your doctor if you have any type of infection that does not go away or reappears. Your doctor may decide that you should not use Stelara until the infection has cleared up. You should also contact your doctor if you have any open wounds or ulcers that can become infected.
Skin detachment – the increase in redness and skin detachment over a large area of the body can be symptoms of psoriasis erythroderma or dermatitis exfoliativa, which are serious skin conditions. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should inform your doctor immediately.
Other side effects
Frequent side effects(they can affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Uncommon side effects(they can affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Rare side effects(they can affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Reporting side effects
If you experience any type of side effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible side effect that does not appear in this leaflet. You can also report them directly throughthe national reporting system included in theAppendix V. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information about the safety of this medicine.
Stelara is for single use only. Dispose of the unused product remaining in the syringe. Medications should not be disposed of through drains or in the trash. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and unused medications. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Stelara
Appearance of Stelara and contents of the pack
Stelara is a transparent or slightly opalescent (with a pearlescent sheen), colourless to pale yellow solution. The solution may contain a few translucent or white protein particles.
It is presented in a pack containing 1 pre-filled syringe of 1 ml of glass for single use. Each pre-filled syringe contains 90 mg of ustekinumab in 1 ml of injectable solution.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Janssen-Cilag International NV
Turnhoutseweg 30
B-2340 Beerse
Belgium
Manufacturer
Janssen Biologics B.V.
Einsteinweg 101
2333 CB Leiden
Netherlands
For further information about this medicinal product, please consult the representative of the marketing authorisation holder in your country:
België/Belgique/BelgienLietuva
Janssen-Cilag NVUAB "JOHNSON & JOHNSON"
Tel/Tél: + 32 14 64 94 11Tel: +370 5 278 68 88
[email protected][email protected]
????????Luxembourg/Luxemburg
„??????? & ??????? ????????” ????Janssen-Cilag NV
???.: +359 2 489 94 00Tél/Tel: +32 14 64 94 11
[email protected][email protected]
Janssen-Cilag s.r.o.Janssen-Cilag Kft.
Tel: +420 227 012 227Tel.: +36 1 884 2858
DanmarkMalta
Janssen-Cilag A/SAM MANGION LTD
Tlf: +45 4594 8282Tel: +356 2397 6000
DeutschlandNederland
Janssen-Cilag GmbHJanssen-Cilag B.V.
Tel: +49 2137 955 955Tel: +31 76 711 1111
[email protected][email protected]
EestiNorge
UAB "JOHNSON & JOHNSON" Eesti filiaalJanssen-Cilag AS
Tel: +372 617 7410Tlf: + 47 24 12 65 00
[email protected][email protected]
Ελλ?δαÖsterreich
Janssen-Cilag Φαρμακευτικ? Α.Ε.Β.Ε.Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH
Tηλ: +30 210 80 90 000Tel: +43 1 610 300
EspañaPolska
Janssen-Cilag, S.A.Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o.
Tel: +34 91 722 81 00Tel.: + 48 22 237 60 00
FrancePortugal
Janssen-CilagJanssen-Cilag Farmacêutica, Lda.
Tél: 0 800 25 50 75 / +33 1 55 00 40 03Tel: +351 214 368 600
HrvatskaRomânia
Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o.Johnson & Johnson România SRL
Tel: +385 1 6610 700Tel: +40 21 207 1800
IrelandSlovenija
Janssen Sciences Ireland UCJohnson & Johnson d.o.o.
Tel: +353 1 800 709 122Tel. +386 1 401 18 00
ÍslandSlovenská republika
Janssen-Cilag ABJohnson & Johnson, s.r.o.
c/o Vistor hf.Tel: +421 232 408 400
Sími: +354 535 7000
ItaliaSuomi/Finland
Janssen-Cilag SpAJanssen-Cilag Oy
Tel: 800.688.777 / +39 02 2510 1Puh/Tel: +358 207 531 300
[email protected][email protected]
Βαρν?βας Χατζηπαναγ?ς ΛτδJanssen-Cilag AB
Tηλ: +357 22 207 700Tfn: +46 8 626 50 00
LatvijaUnited Kingdom
UAB "JOHNSON & JOHNSON" filialeJanssen-Cilag Ltd.
LatvijaTel: +44 1 494 567 444
Tel: +371 678 93561
Date of the last revision of this leaflet{MM/AAAA}.
The detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the European Medicines Agency:
Instructions for administration
At the beginning of treatment, the healthcare professional will help you with your first injection. However, it is possible that you and your doctor may decide that you can administer Stelara yourself. In this case, they will teach you how to administer Stelara. Talk to your doctor if you have any doubts about the administration of injections.
The Figure 1 shows how the pre-filled syringe looks like.
Figure 1
?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 administration (ambient temperature). Do not remove the needle cap while waiting for the liquid to reach ambient temperature.
?Hold the pre-filled syringe by the body with the needle cap pointing upwards.
?Do not pick up the pre-filled syringe by the plunger, the plunger, the wings of the needle protector or the needle cap.
?Do not remove the plunger at any time.
?Do not remove the needle cap from the pre-filled syringe until you are told to.
?Do not touch the activation clips of the needle protector (indicated by asterisks* in Figure 1) to avoid the needle protector covering the needle too early.
Check the pre-filled syringe(s) to ensure that
or If your dose is 90 mg, you will have a pre-filled syringe of 90 mg of Stelara.
Prepare all the materials you need and place them on a clean surface. Including antiseptic wipes, cotton or gauze and a sharps container.
?Stelara is administered by subcutaneous injection.
?Some suitable injection sites are the upper part of the thigh or the abdominal area, at least 5 cm from the navel.
?As far 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.
Figure 2
Prepare the injection site
3. Remove the needle cap (see Figure 3):
Figure 3
4. Administer the dose:
With a single quick movement, insert the needle through the skin until it can go no further (see Figure 4).
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7 |
6. Disposal:
Figure 8
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.