Getting Started with SOLIRIS (eculizumab)
BEFORE TREATMENT
Talk to your doctor about your gMG symptoms
The Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) assessment is a great way to measure the severity of your gMG symptoms and their impact on your daily activities. Completing it before starting SOLIRIS can help you and your doctor track your symptoms.
Before starting treatment, you must get meningococcal vaccines
SOLIRIS is a medicine that affects your immune system and can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.
SOLIRIS increases your chance of getting serious and life-threatening meningococcal infections that may quickly become life-threatening and cause death if not recognized and treated early.
You must receive meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before your first dose of SOLIRIS if you are not vaccinated.
If your doctor decided that urgent treatment with SOLIRIS is needed, you should receive meningococcal vaccination as soon as possible.
If you have not been vaccinated and SOLIRIS therapy must be initiated immediately, you should also receive two weeks of antibiotics with your vaccinations.
If you had a meningococcal vaccine in the past, you might need additional vaccination. Your doctor will decide if you need additional vaccination.
Meningococcal vaccines reduce but do not prevent all meningococcal infections. Call your doctor or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a meningococcal infection: headache with nausea or vomiting, headache and fever, headache with a stiff neck or stiff back, fever, fever and a rash, confusion, muscle aches with flu-like symptoms, and eyes sensitive to light.
Your healthcare provider will work with you to arrange this.
For more information about meningococcal vaccines, please read the Important Safety Information below and talk to your healthcare provider.
Connect with OneSource™
OneSource™ is a free, personalized patient support program from Alexion that can help you make sense of your health insurance coverage, answer questions about your treatment with SOLIRIS, and connect you to community resources.
Find an infusion center
SOLIRIS is given by intravenous (IV) infusion, which can be done at an infusion center or at home with a healthcare professional. Where you receive your infusion can depend on your insurance and where you live. Contact OneSource™ and talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.
DURING TREATMENT
Take SOLIRIS as prescribed by your doctor
When starting SOLIRIS, you will receive an infusion every week for 5 weeks, and then every 2 weeks thereafter.
An infusion usually takes about 35 minutes. You will need to be monitored afterward for at least 1 hour for infusion-related reactions.
Keep track of your experience
A gMG Treatment Journal contains helpful tips, activities, and tools. Contact OneSource™ to request a gMG Treatment Journal.
Getting started, with Dr. Pitts
In this video, Dr. Thomas Pitts talks us through the important information you should know when starting treatment with SOLIRIS.
SELECT IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What are the possible side effects of SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS can cause serious side effects including serious infusion-related reactions. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you get any of these symptoms during your SOLIRIS infusion: chest pain; trouble breathing or shortness of breath; swelling of your face, tongue, or throat; and feel faint or pass out. If you have an infusion-related reaction to SOLIRIS, your doctor may need to infuse SOLIRIS more slowly, or stop SOLIRIS.
Please see additional Important Safety Information, including Boxed WARNING regarding serious and life-threatening meningococcal infections, below.
See available resources
Discover the various tools and resources Alexion has to offer to learn more about anti-AChR antibody-positive gMG.
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Stay connected
Get the latest news and information about anti-AChR antibody-positive gMG and SOLIRIS to help you learn more about your treatment.
Sign up todayWhat is the most important information I should know about SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS is a medicine that affects your immune system and can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.
- SOLIRIS increases your chance of getting serious and life-threatening meningococcal infections that may quickly become life-threatening and cause death if not recognized and treated early.
- You must receive meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before your first dose of SOLIRIS if you are not vaccinated.
- If your doctor decided that urgent treatment with SOLIRIS is needed, you should receive meningococcal vaccination as soon as possible.
- If you have not been vaccinated and SOLIRIS therapy must be initiated immediately, you should also receive two weeks of antibiotics with your vaccinations.
- If you had a meningococcal vaccine in the past, you might need additional vaccination. Your doctor will decide if you need additional vaccination.
- Meningococcal vaccines reduce but do not prevent all meningococcal infections. Call your doctor or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a meningococcal infection: headache with nausea or vomiting, headache and fever, headache with a stiff neck or stiff back, fever, fever and a rash, confusion, muscle aches with flu-like symptoms, and eyes sensitive to light.
Your doctor will give you a Patient Safety Card about the risk of meningococcal infection. Carry it with you at all times during treatment and for 3 months after your last SOLIRIS dose. It is important to show this card to any doctor or nurse to help them diagnose and treat you quickly.
SOLIRIS is only available through a program called the SOLIRIS REMS. Before you can receive SOLIRIS, your doctor must enroll in the SOLIRIS REMS program; counsel you about the risk of meningococcal infection; give you information and a Patient Safety Card about the symptoms and your risk of meningococcal infection (as discussed above); and make sure that you are vaccinated with the meningococcal vaccine and, if needed, get revaccinated with the meningococcal vaccine. Ask your doctor if you are not sure if you need to be revaccinated.
SOLIRIS may also increase the risk of other types of serious infections. Certain people may be at risk of serious infections with gonorrhea. Certain fungal infections (Aspergillus) may occur if you take SOLIRIS and have a weak immune system or a low white blood cell count.
Who should not receive SOLIRIS?
Do not receive SOLIRIS if you have a meningococcal infection or have not been vaccinated against meningitis infection unless your doctor decides that urgent treatment with SOLIRIS is needed.
Before you receive SOLIRIS, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have an infection or fever, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, and are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SOLIRIS will harm your unborn baby or if it passes into your breast milk.
Tell your doctor about all the vaccines you receive and medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements which could affect your treatment. It is important that you have all recommended vaccinations before you start SOLIRIS, receive 2 weeks of antibiotics if you immediately start SOLIRIS, and stay up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations during treatment with SOLIRIS.
What are the possible side effects of SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS can cause serious side effects including serious infusion-related reactions. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you get any of these symptoms during your SOLIRIS infusion: chest pain, trouble breathing or shortness of breath, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, and feel faint or pass out. If you have an infusion-related reaction to SOLIRIS, your doctor may need to infuse SOLIRIS more slowly, or stop SOLIRIS.
The most common side effects in people with gMG treated with SOLIRIS include: muscle and joint (musculoskeletal) pain.
Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of SOLIRIS. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit MedWatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
INDICATION
What is SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a disease called generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive. It is not known if SOLIRIS is safe and effective in children with gMG.
Please see the full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for SOLIRIS, including Boxed WARNING regarding serious and life-threatening meningococcal infections.
What is the most important information I should know about SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS is a medicine that affects your immune system and can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.
- SOLIRIS increases your chance of getting serious and life-threatening meningococcal infections that may quickly become life-threatening and cause death if not recognized and treated early.
- You must receive meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before your first dose of SOLIRIS if you are not vaccinated.
- If your doctor decided that urgent treatment with SOLIRIS is needed, you should receive meningococcal vaccination as soon as possible.
- If you have not been vaccinated and SOLIRIS therapy must be initiated immediately, you should also receive two weeks of antibiotics with your vaccinations.
- If you had a meningococcal vaccine in the past, you might need additional vaccination. Your doctor will decide if you need additional vaccination.
- Meningococcal vaccines reduce but do not prevent all meningococcal infections. Call your doctor or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a meningococcal infection: headache with nausea or vomiting, headache and fever, headache with a stiff neck or stiff back, fever, fever and a rash, confusion, muscle aches with flu-like symptoms, and eyes sensitive to light.
Your doctor will give you a Patient Safety Card about the risk of meningococcal infection. Carry it with you at all times during treatment and for 3 months after your last SOLIRIS dose. It is important to show this card to any doctor or nurse to help them diagnose and treat you quickly.
SOLIRIS is only available through a program called the SOLIRIS REMS. Before you can receive SOLIRIS, your doctor must enroll in the SOLIRIS REMS program; counsel you about the risk of meningococcal infection; give you information and a Patient Safety Card about the symptoms and your risk of meningococcal infection (as discussed above); and make sure that you are vaccinated with the meningococcal vaccine and, if needed, get revaccinated with the meningococcal vaccine. Ask your doctor if you are not sure if you need to be revaccinated.
SOLIRIS may also increase the risk of other types of serious infections. Certain people may be at risk of serious infections with gonorrhea. Certain fungal infections (Aspergillus) may occur if you take SOLIRIS and have a weak immune system or a low white blood cell count.
Who should not receive SOLIRIS?
Do not receive SOLIRIS if you have a meningococcal infection or have not been vaccinated against meningitis infection unless your doctor decides that urgent treatment with SOLIRIS is needed.
Before you receive SOLIRIS, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have an infection or fever, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, and are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SOLIRIS will harm your unborn baby or if it passes into your breast milk.
Tell your doctor about all the vaccines you receive and medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements which could affect your treatment. It is important that you have all recommended vaccinations before you start SOLIRIS, receive 2 weeks of antibiotics if you immediately start SOLIRIS, and stay up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations during treatment with SOLIRIS.
What are the possible side effects of SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS can cause serious side effects including serious infusion-related reactions. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you get any of these symptoms during your SOLIRIS infusion: chest pain, trouble breathing or shortness of breath, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, and feel faint or pass out. If you have an infusion-related reaction to SOLIRIS, your doctor may need to infuse SOLIRIS more slowly, or stop SOLIRIS.
The most common side effects in people with gMG treated with SOLIRIS include: muscle and joint (musculoskeletal) pain.
Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of SOLIRIS. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit MedWatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
INDICATION
What is SOLIRIS?
SOLIRIS is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a disease called generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive. It is not known if SOLIRIS is safe and effective in children with gMG.
Please see the full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for SOLIRIS, including Boxed WARNING regarding serious and life-threatening meningococcal infections.