Amgevita is used to treat some types of autoimmune conditions (diseases in which the body's defence system or immune system attacks healthy tissues) such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and skin diseases such as chronic plaque psoriasis. Amgevita is usually used when other treatments have not worked well.
Amgevita contains the medicine adalimumab. This is a type of medicine called a TNF inhibitor. It works by blocking natural inflammatory substances in the body called tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa). This helps to reduce swelling (inflammation) and weaken your immune system, thereby slowing or stopping the damage from the disease.
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Amgevita
Also called adalimumab
Key points about Amgevita
- Amgevita is used to treat some types of autoimmune conditions.
- Amgevita is also called adalimumab.
- Find out about how to take it safely and the possible side effects.
- The dose of Amgevita is different for different people. Your dose and how often you inject Amgevita will depend on what you are using it for and your age.
- Inject Amgevita exactly as your doctor or nurse has told you. The pharmacy label will tell you how much Amgevita to use, how often to use it and any special instructions.
- You may not notice the effects of Amgevita straight away. It may take 2 weeks or up to 6 months.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, Amgevita is available as a pre-filled pen (SureClick) or a pre-filled syringe. Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist may discuss with you which device will suit you best based on your treatment plan.
Amgevita is given as an injection under the skin
Some people can give themselves the injection or it can be given by another person, for example, a whānau member or friend after proper training, or by your doctor or nurse. If you are unsure about how to inject Amgevita, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to show you. The following can be used as guides:
- Videos: How to inject Amgevita pen and Amgevita prefilled syringe(external link)
- Booklet: How to use Amgevita pen(external link)
Preparation
Store Amgevita in the fridge. Take your Amgevita pen out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 15–30 minutes before injecting. It is important that you don't warm it up in any other way, so don't warm it in the microwave or in hot water.
Injection sites
Choose an injection site, such as on the front of your thighs or your abdomen (belly) at least 5 cm from your belly button. The injection site should be different from your last injection site, at least 3 cm away. Do not inject into skin that is sore, bruised, red, hard, scarred, has stretch marks, or psoriasis plaques.
Note: In Aotearoa New Zealand, people taking Amgevita can get support from Amgevita.(external link)
Like all medicines, Amgevita can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
Increased risk of infections
Because Amgevita weakens your body's immune system, it can make it more likely for you to get infections. These infections may be mild (such as colds, sinusitis) or more severe such as tuberculosis (TB) and septicaemia (infection of the blood).
Tell your doctor immediately if you develop signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms.
Other side effects
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| For more information on side effects, see the Medsafe consumer information leaflets here(external link). Did you know that you can report a medicine side effect to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM)? Report a side effect to a product(external link). |
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The following links have more information about Amgevita.
Amgevita(external link) Amgen, NZ
Amgevita(external link) Medsafe Consumer Information Sheet, NZ
Adalimumab(external link) Rheuminfo, US
References
- Adalimumab(external link) NZ Formulary, NZ
- Amgevita(external link) Medsafe Product Datasheet, NZ
Free helplines
Credits: Sandra Ponen, Pharmacist, Healthify He Puna Waiora. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.
Reviewed by: Maya Patel, Pharmacist, Auckland
Last reviewed:
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