Product Information for the Patient
Kesimpta 20 mg Pre-filled Injectable Pen
ofatumumab
This medicine is subject to additional monitoring, which will facilitate the detection of new information about its safety. You can contribute by reporting any adverse effects you may experience. The final part of section 4 includes information on how to report these adverse effects.
Read this entire product information carefully before starting to use this medicine, as it contains important information for you.
What is Kesimpta
Kesimpta contains the active ingredient ofatumumab. Ofatumumab belongs to a group of medicines known as monoclonal antibodies.
What is Kesimpta used for
Kesimpta is used to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
How Kesimpta works
Kesimpta works by binding to a target known as CD20 on the surface of B lymphocytes. B lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that is part of the immune system (the body's defenses). In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the protective covering around nerve cells. B lymphocytes are involved in this process. Kesimpta targets B lymphocytes and eliminates them. In this way, it reduces the likelihood of a relapse, alleviates symptoms, and slows the progression of the disease.
Do not use Kesimpta
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor before starting to use Kesimpta
While using Kesimpta
Inform your doctor:
Inform your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms during treatment with Kesimpta, as they may be signs of a serious disease:
Children and adolescents
Do not administer this medicine to children and adolescents under 18 years of age, as Kesimpta has not yet been studied in this age group.
Other medicines and Kesimpta
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have taken recently, or may need to take any other medicine.
Especially, inform your doctor or pharmacist:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you think you may be pregnant, consult your doctor before using this medicine.
Pregnancy
You should avoid becoming pregnant while using Kesimpta and for 6 months after stopping treatment.
If you are a fertile woman, you should use an effective contraceptive method during treatment and for 6 months after stopping treatment with Kesimpta. Consult your doctor about the available options.
If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment or within 6 months after the last dose, inform your doctor immediately. Your doctor will inform you of the potential risks of Kesimpta during pregnancy. This is because Kesimpta can reduce the number of immune system cells (B lymphocytes) in both the mother and the fetus. Your doctor should report your pregnancy to Novartis. You can also report your pregnancy by contacting your local Novartis representative (see section 6), as well as contacting your doctor.
Breastfeeding
Kesimpta may pass into breast milk. Consult your doctor about the benefits and risks before breastfeeding while using Kesimpta.
Vaccination of newborn babies
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before vaccinating your newborn baby if you used Kesimpta during pregnancy (see above “Warnings and Precautions”).
Driving and operating machines
Kesimpta is unlikely to affect your ability to drive and use machines.
Kesimpta contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per dose; it is essentially “sodium-free”.
Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medication as indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
Kesimpta is administered via subcutaneous injection (injection under the skin).
The first injection should be performed under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
The Kesimpta pre-filled pens are for single use only.
You can consult the detailed instructions on how to inject Kesimpta in the "Kesimpta in Pluma Sensoready Use Instructions" section at the end of this leaflet.
‘QR code to include’ +www.kesimpta.eu
You can use Kesimpta at any time of the day (morning, afternoon, or night).
How much Kesimpta and how often to administer
Do not exceed the dose prescribed by your doctor.
Time | Dose |
Week 0 (first day of treatment) | 20 mg |
Week 1 | 20 mg |
Week 2 | 20 mg |
Week 3 | No injection |
Week 4 | 20 mg |
Then, every month | 20 mg |
For how long to use Kesimpta
Continue using Kesimpta every month for the duration indicated by your doctor.
Your doctor will periodically monitor your disease status to check if the treatment is having the desired effect.
If you have any doubts about how long you should use Kesimpta, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
If you use more Kesimpta than you should
If too much Kesimpta has been administered, inform your doctor immediately.
If you forgot to use Kesimpta
To get the full benefit of Kesimpta, it is essential to administer each injection on time.
If you have forgotten to administer a Kesimpta injection, administer it as soon as possible. Do not wait until the next scheduled dose. The administration times of the following injections should then be calculated from the day the dose was administered and not based on the original calendar (see also the previous section "How much Kesimpta and how often to administer").
If you interrupt treatment with Kesimpta
Do not interrupt treatment with Kesimpta or change your dose without first discussing it with your doctor.
Some side effects may be related to low levels of B lymphocytes in the blood. After interrupting treatment with Kesimpta, your B lymphocyte levels in the blood will gradually increase to normal levels. This may take several months, during which you may still experience some of the side effects described in this leaflet.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medications, this medication may produce adverse effects, although not all people will experience them.
The following are the adverse effects of Kesimpta. If any of these adverse effects affect you severely, inform your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
Very Frequent(may affect more than 1 in 10 patients)
Frequent(may affect up to 1 in 10 patients)
Unknown Frequency(cannot be estimated from available data)
Reporting Adverse Effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect not listed in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through thenational notification system included in theAppendix V.By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information about the safety of this medication.
Keep this medication out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the box after CAD and on the label after EXP. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
Store the pre-filled pen(s) in the outer packaging to protect it from light. Store in the refrigerator (between 2°C and 8°C). Do not freeze.
In case of need, Kesimpta can be left out of the refrigerator for a single period of up to 7 days at room temperature (not above 30°C). If not used during this period, Kesimpta can be returned to the refrigerator for a maximum of 7 days.
Do not use this medication if you observe that the solution contains visible particles or is cloudy.
Medicines should not be disposed of through the drains or in the trash. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the containers and medications that you no longer need. In this way, you will help protect the environment.
Composition of Kesimpta
Appearance of the product and contents of the pack
Kesimpta injectable solution is a transparent to slightly opalescent solution, and colorless to yellowish-brown.
Kesimpta is available in single-dose packs containing 1 pre-filled pen and in multiple packs consisting of 3 boxes, with 1 pre-filled pen in each.
Only certain pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder
Novartis Ireland Limited
Vista Building
Elm Park, Merrion Road
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
Ireland
Manufacturer
Novartis Pharma GmbH
Roonstrasse 25
90429 Nuremberg
Germany
Novartis Farmacéutica, S.A.
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 764
08013 Barcelona
Spain
You can request more information about this medicine by contacting the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
België/Belgique/Belgien Novartis Pharma N.V. Tél/Tel: +32 2 246 16 11 | Lietuva SIA Novartis Baltics Lietuvos filialas Tel: +370 5 269 16 50 |
Luxembourg/Luxemburg Novartis Pharma N.V. Tél/Tel: +32 2 246 16 11 | |
Ceská republika Novartis s.r.o. Tel: +420 225 775 111 | Magyarország Novartis Hungária Kft. Tel.: +36 1 457 65 00 |
Danmark Novartis Healthcare A/S Tlf: +45 39 16 84 00 | Malta Novartis Pharma Services Inc. Tel: +356 2122 2872 |
Deutschland Novartis Pharma GmbH Tel: +49 911 273 0 | Nederland Novartis Pharma B.V. Tel: +31 88 04 52 111 |
Eesti SIA Novartis Baltics Eesti filiaal Tel: +372 66 30 810 | Norge Novartis Norge AS Tlf: +47 23 05 20 00 |
Ελλ?δα Novartis (Hellas) A.E.B.E. Τηλ: +30 210 281 17 12 | Österreich Novartis Pharma GmbH Tel: +43 1 86 6570 |
España Novartis Farmacéutica, S.A. Tel: +34 93 306 42 00 | Polska Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o. Tel.: +48 22 375 4888 |
France Novartis Pharma S.A.S. Tél: +33 1 55 47 66 00 | Portugal Novartis Farma - Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A. Tel: +351 21 000 8600 |
Hrvatska Novartis Hrvatska d.o.o. Tel. +385 1 6274 220 | România Novartis Pharma ServicesRomania SRL Tel: +40 21 31299 01 |
Ireland Novartis Ireland Limited Tel: +353 1 260 12 55 | Slovenija Novartis Pharma Services Inc. Tel: +386 1 300 75 50 |
Ísland Vistor hf. Sími: +354 535 7000 | Slovenská republika Novartis Slovakia s.r.o. Tel: +421 2 5542 5439 |
Italia Novartis Farma S.p.A. Tel: +39 02 96 54 1 | Suomi/Finland Novartis Finland Oy Puh/Tel: +358 (0)10 6133 200 |
Κ?προς Novartis Pharma Services Inc. Τηλ: +357 22 690 690 | Sverige Novartis Sverige AB Tel: +46 8 732 32 00 |
Latvija SIA Novartis Baltics Tel: +371 67 887 070 | United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) Novartis Ireland Limited Tel: +44 1276 698370 |
Last update of this leaflet:
Other sources of information
The detailed information about this medicine is available on the website of the European Medicines Agency:https://www.ema.europa.eu.
Instructions for use of Kesimpta in Sensoready pen
It is essential that you understand and follow these instructions for use before injecting Kesimpta. If you have any doubts, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before using Kesimpta for the first time.
Remember:
How should I store Kesimpta?
Keep Kesimpta out of the sight and reach of children.
Parts of the Sensoready pen of Kesimpta (see Image A):
The Sensoready pen of Kesimpta is shown with the cap removed. Do not remove the cap until you are ready to inject.
What you need for the injection:
Included in the pack:
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Not included in the pack (see Image C):
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See the section “How to dispose of the used Sensoready pen of Kesimpta?” at the end of these Instructions for Use.
Before the injection:
Take the pen out of the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes before the injection to allow it to reach room temperature.
Step 1. Important safety checks before injecting (see Image D):
Do not usethe pen if the liquid contains visible particles or is cloudy. You may see a small air bubble, which is normal.
Contact your pharmacist or healthcare professional if the pen does not meet any of these checks. |
Step 3. Clean the injection site:
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Your injection Step 4. Remove the cap:
You may see some medicine dripping from the needle. This is normal. |
Step 5. Hold the pen:
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Step 6. Start the injection:
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Step 7. Finish the injection:
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Important: During the injection, you will hear2 intense clicks: •Thefirst clickindicates that the injection has started. •Thesecond clickindicates that the injection is almost complete. You must continue to hold the pen firmly against the skin until thegreen indicatorfills the window and has stopped moving. |
After the injection:
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How to dispose of the used Sensoready pen of Kesimpta?
Step 8. Dispose of the used Sensoready pen of Kesimpta:
Keep the sharps container out of the reach of children. |
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