Amevive® (alefacept) Official Site: How Amevive Works

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION | COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED | FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

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How Amevive works

Overactive T cells play a role in psoriasis

Your immune system is made of billions of cells. One type, T cells, normally helps your body fight off infection. In the case of chronic plaque psoriasis, it’s believed that T cells become overactive and send signals to your skin cells to reproduce faster than normal. This results in plaques on your skin.[1]

Only Amevive fights psoriasis in 2 ways

Amevive fights a main source of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis where it begins—in cells beneath the skin’s surface. Only Amevive does this in 2 ways:[2,3]

Amevive prevents T cells from becoming overactive and sending signals to your skin cells.
Amevive reduces the number of overactive T cells.

Amevive generally does not affect your other T cells, so your body can still continue to fight infection.

References

1. National Psoriasis Foundation Web site. http://www.psoriasis.org. Accessed December 16, 2008.
2. Amevive^® (alefacept) prescribing information, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
3. Lebwohl M, Christophers E, Langley R, et al. An international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial of intramuscular alefacept in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 2003;139:719-727.

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.