Package Leaflet: Information for the Patient
WEZENLA 45 mg solution for injection in pre-filled pen
WEZENLA 90 mg solution for injection in pre-filled pen
ustekinumab
This medicine 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.
Contents of the pack
What is WEZENLA
WEZENLA contains the active substance “ustekinumab”, a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that identify and bind specifically to certain proteins in the body.
WEZENLA belongs to a group of medicines called “immunosuppressants”. These medicines work by weakening part of the immune system.
What is WEZENLA used for
WEZENLA is used to treat the following inflammatory diseases:
Plaque psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis is a skin disease that causes inflammation affecting the skin and nails. WEZENLA reduces inflammation and other signs of the disease.
WEZENLA is used in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are unable to tolerate phototherapy or other systemic therapies or when these treatments do not work.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints, usually accompanied by 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 WEZENLA 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 medicines. If you do not respond adequately or do not tolerate these medicines, you may be given WEZENLA to reduce the signs and symptoms of your disease.
Do not use WEZENLA
If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using WEZENLA.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start using WEZENLA. 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 detect tuberculosis before you use WEZENLA. If your doctor thinks you are at risk of tuberculosis, they may give you medicines to treat it.
Observe serious side effects
WEZENLA may cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions and infections. You should be aware of certain signs of illness while you are using WEZENLA. See the complete list of these side effects in “Serious side effects” in section 4.
Before using WEZENLA, tell your doctor:
If you are not sure if you have any of these conditions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using WEZENLA.
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 the skin exposed to the sun or if they are 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 periodically 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 the body, facial paralysis, or abnormalities in speech or vision.
Children and adolescents
WEZENLA pre-filled pen is not recommended for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age with psoriasis, as it has not been studied in this age group. For children from 6 years and adolescents with psoriasis, the pre-filled syringe or vial should be used instead.
WEZENLA is not recommended for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age with psoriatic arthritis or Crohn's disease, as it has not been studied in this age group.
Using WEZENLA with other medicines, vaccines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Driving and using machines
WEZENLA has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive and use machines.
WEZENLA should be used under the guidance and supervision of a doctor with experience in the treatment of the conditions for which WEZENLA is indicated.
Always follow exactly the administration instructions of this medicine given by your doctor. If you are not sure, ask your doctor. Ask your doctor when you should have the injections and about follow-up appointments.
How much WEZENLA is given
Your doctor will decide how much WEZENLA you need to use and the duration of treatment.
Adults from 18 years of age
Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis
Crohn's disease
How WEZENLA is given
Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about how to self-inject.
If you use more WEZENLA than you should
If you have used or been given too much WEZENLA, talk to your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Always carry the medicine box with you, even if it is empty.
If you forget to use WEZENLA
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 WEZENLA
Stopping WEZENLA is not dangerous. However, if you stop using it, your symptoms may come back.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine may 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.
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 WEZENLA again.
Infections – these may require urgent treatment. Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs.
WEZENLA 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 WEZENLA. These include:
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 WEZENLA until the infection goes away. Also, contact your doctor if you have any open cuts or ulcers that could become infected.
Skin Shedding – increased redness and skin shedding over a large area 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):
Uncommon Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Rare Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Very Rare Adverse Effects(may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
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 prospectus. 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.
Do not use this medicine:
WEZENLA is for single use. You must discard any unused product remaining in the preloaded pen. Medicines should not be disposed of through 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.
Composition of WEZENLA
Appearance of WEZENLA and Container Contents
WEZENLA is a clear to opalescent injectable solution, colorless to light yellow. It is presented in a container containing 1 pre-filled pen of 1 ml glass. Each pre-filled pen contains 45 mg of ustekinumab in 0.5 ml or 90 mg of ustekinumab in 1 ml of injectable solution.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Amgen Technology (Ireland) UC,
Pottery Road,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin,
Ireland
Marketing Authorization Holder
Amgen Technology (Ireland) UC,
Pottery Road,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin,
Ireland
Manufacturer
Amgen NV
Telecomlaan 5-7
1831 Diegem
Belgium
You can request more information about this medication by contacting the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
België/Belgique/Belgien s.a. Amgen n.v. Tél/Tel: +32 (0)2 7752711 | Lietuva Amgen Switzerland AG Vilniaus filialas Tel: +370 5 219 7474 |
| Luxembourg/Luxemburg s.a. Amgen Belgique/Belgien Tél/Tel: +32 (0)2 7752711 |
Ceská republika Amgen s.r.o. Tel: +420 221 773 500 | Magyarország Amgen Kft. Tel.: +36 1 35 44 700 |
Danmark Amgen, filial af Amgen AB, Sverige Tlf.: +45 39617500 | Malta Amgen S.r.l. Italy Tel: +39 02 6241121 |
Deutschland Amgen GmbH Tel: +49 89 1490960 | Nederland Amgen B.V. Tel: +31 (0)76 5732500 |
Eesti Amgen Switzerland AG Vilniaus filialas Tel: +372 586 09553 | Norge Amgen AB Tlf: +47 23308000 |
Ελλάδα Amgen Ελλάς Φαρμακευτική Ε.Π.Ε. Τηλ: +30 210 3447000 | Österreich Amgen GmbH Tel: +43 (0)1 50 217 |
España Amgen S.A. Tel: +34 93 600 18 60 | Polska Amgen Biotechnologia Sp. z o.o. Tel.: +48 22 581 3000 |
France Amgen S.A.S. Tél: +33 (0)9 69 363 363 | Portugal Amgen Biofarmacêutica, Lda. Tel: +351 21 4220606 |
Hrvatska Amgen d.o.o. Tel: +385 (0)1 562 57 20 | România Amgen România SRL Tel: +4021 527 3000 |
Ireland Amgen Ireland Limited Tel: +353 1 8527400 | Slovenija AMGEN zdravila d.o.o. Tel: +386 (0)1 585 1767 |
Ísland Vistor hf. Sími: +354 535 7000 | Slovenská republika Amgen Slovakia s.r.o. Tel: +421 2 321 114 49 |
Italia Amgen S.r.l. Tel: +39 02 6241121 | Suomi/Finland Amgen AB, sivuliike Suomessa/Amgen AB, filial i Finland Puh/Tel: +358 (0)9 54900500 |
Kύπρος C.A. Papaellinas Ltd Τηλ: +357 22741 741 | Sverige Amgen AB Tel: +46 (0)8 6951100 |
Latvija Amgen Switzerland AG Rigas filiale Tel: +371 257 25888 |
Date of Last Revision of this Leaflet
Other Sources of Information
Detailed information on this medication is available on the European Medicines Agency website: https://www.ema.europa.eu.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
These "Instructions for Use" contain information on how to inject WEZENLA with a pre-filled pen (ConfiPen).
This pre-filled pen administers WEZENLA via a subcutaneous injection. Refer to the package leaflet for information on the medication.
Parts of the Pre-filled Pen
| Expiry Date | |
Plunger (may be visible in the window; location may vary | ||
Window | Medication | |
Yellow safety protector under the cap (needle inside) | Cap |
Important Information to Know Before Injecting WEZENLA |
Dose:
|
|
45 mg/0.5 ml | 90 mg/1.0 ml |
Import:
|
Using the WEZENLA Pre-filled Pen:
Important:Keep the pre-filled pen and the sharps container out of the sight and reach of children. |
Preparation for WEZENLA Injection |
WAIT
30
minutes
| Medication |
| Expiry Date |
Preparation for WEZENLA Injection |
| Alcohol swab | |
Sharps container | Antiseptic wipe Cotton ball or gauze |
| Abdomen Thigh |
Important:Avoid areas with scars, stretch marks, and bruises, areas that are painful to the touch, and areas where the skin is red or hardened. If possible, do not use areas of the skin with signs of psoriasis. |
WEZENLA Injection |
Important:Remove the cap only when you are ready for the injection (within 5 minutes), as the medication may dry out. Do notreplace the cap. |
Window should be visible |
|
Important:Do not touch or press the yellow safety protector. Do not put your finger inside the yellow safety protector. |

Place the yellow safety protector straight against the pinched skin.
PUSH AND HOLD
down to start the injection

Hold the pre-filled pen without lifting it.
OBSERVE
the window will turn completely yellow

Checking the Injection Site and Disposing of the Pre-filled Pen |
CONFIRM
The medication has not leaked (it does not matter if there is a small drop) |
| The window is completely yellow |
Important:If the window has not changed completely to yellow, it appears that medication is still coming out, or you see several drops of medication, a full dose has not been injected. Call your healthcare professional immediately. |


Important:Do not throw the pre-filled pen in the trash |
You should dispose of any unused product left in the pre-filled pen. Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.
Discuss dosage, side effects, interactions, contraindications, and prescription renewal for WEZENLA 45 mg SOLUTION FOR INJECTION IN A PRE-FILLED PEN – subject to medical assessment and local rules.