Amevive is a prescription medication that is injected into the muscle. It is given at your doctor’s office once a week for 12 weeks.[1]
- Because Amevive can reduce the number of your T cells, you’ll need a blood test before and periodically during treatment to monitor
your T-cell levels.[1] Your doctor uses the results of these tests to schedule your doses of Amevive. If levels are too low, your doctor will check
your blood weekly and will either delay or stop treatment.
After at least a 12-week treatment break, you and your doctor can decide if and when an additional course is right for you.
Psoriasis is a chronic disease, but Amevive is not a chronic treatment. However, it may take time for Amevive to affect your moderate-to-severe
chronic plaque psoriasis, and Amevive may not work for everyone. To help you receive the benefits of Amevive, it is important to stay on the
treatment for the entire 12 weeks. Then you’ll be off therapy for AT LEAST 12 WEEKS.[1]
Even while you are on break from treatment, your skin may continue to improve. In clinical trials, some patients who responded to Amevive
actually experienced their best response after their 12-week treatment
had ended (maximum skin improvement occurred 6 weeks after the last dose of Amevive).[1,2] Your results may vary.
References
- 1. Amevive® (alefacept) prescribing information, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
- 2. Lebwohl M, Christopher E, Langley R, et al. An international, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase
3 trial of intramuscular alefacept in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 2003;139:719-727.
- 3. Data on file, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
Amevive is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.
Important Safety Information
-
Amevive reduces the number of certain T cells. That is part of how it is thought to treat psoriasis. This reduction could increase the
possibility of getting an infection or cancer. Before taking Amevive, be sure to tell your doctor if you have had a serious infection or
cancer. Amevive should not be taken if you are HIV positive.
-
Because Amevive reduces the number of T cells, you should have a blood test every 2 weeks during the dosing period to check your T-cell
levels. If your T-cell levels are too low, your doctor will check your blood weekly and will either postpone or stop treatment with Amevive.
-
Some patients who received Amevive in clinical studies were found to have cancers. Most of these cases were skin cancers. There were also
other types of cancer and lymphomas. Some patients developed serious infections, including wound infections and pneumonia.
-
During and after taking Amevive, if you notice anything unusual about your health or any signs of infections such
as swollen glands, fever, or chills, notify your doctor right away.
-
Amevive should not be taken if you are known to be allergic to Amevive or any of its components, since serious
allergic reactions such as hives, with or without swelling of the mouth and tongue, have been seen.
-
Some patients treated with Amevive have had serious liver injury. If your skin or the whites of your eyes become yellow, if you start to
bruise easily, or if you have persistent loss of appetite or vomiting, you should call your doctor right away.
-
Commonly reported side effects that occurred in clinical studies with Amevive included sore throat, dizziness, cough, nausea, itching,
muscle aches, chills, injection site reactions, and accidental injury.
If you become pregnant during treatment with Amevive, tell your doctor and consider enrolling in the Pregnancy Registry by calling 1-866-834-7223.
Information collected in this program is kept confidential.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit
fda.gov/medwatch or
call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see the full prescribing information and talk to your
doctor for more information.