Peginterferon beta-1a
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From MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Specialty pharmacy: therapy management checklist, storage and cold chain, dosing calendar, Medicare Part D coverage.
Interferon beta
Dosing in kidney impairment
Renal Impairment Monitor for adverse reactions due to increased drug exposure in patients with severe renal impairment [ see Clinical Pharmacology ].
Preparation and administration
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Important Administration Instructions (All Dosage Forms) Healthcare professionals should train patients in the proper technique for self-administering subcutaneous injections using the prefilled pen or syringe or intramuscular injections using the prefilled syringe. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration.
Advise patients and caregivers to rotate injection sites with each administration to minimize the likelihood of severe injection site reactions, including necrosis or localized infection [see Warnings and Precautions ]. Once removed from the refrigerator, PLEGRIDY should be allowed to warm to room temperature (about 30 minutes) prior to injection.
Do not use external heat sources such as hot water to warm PLEGRIDY. Each PLEGRIDY pen and syringe for subcutaneous injection is provided with the needle pre-attached. PLEGRIDY prefilled syringe for intramuscular injection is supplied as a prefilled syringe with a separate needle. Both intramuscular and subcutaneous prefilled syringes and subcutaneously administered prefilled pens are for one-time use in one patient only and should be discarded after use.
Drug interactions
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- Peginterferon beta-1a
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS PLEGRIDY is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to natural or recombinant interferon beta or peginterferon, or any other component of PLEGRIDY [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . History of hypersensitivity to natural or recombinant interferon beta or peginterferon, or any other component of PLEGRIDY ( 4 )
Safety data
Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Liver injury (LiverTox)
LiverTox has no chapter for peginterferon beta-1a. Check the label's hepatic warnings.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Data from a large population-based cohort study, as well as other published studies over several decades, have not identified a drug-associated risk of major birth defects with the use of interferon beta products during early pregnancy. Findings regarding a potential risk for low birth weight or miscarriage with the use of interferon beta products in pregnancy have been inconsistent (see Data ). In a study in pregnant monkeys, administration of interferon beta during pregnancy resulted in an increased rate of abortion ( see Data ). In the U.S.
general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. Data Human Data The majority of observational studies reporting on pregnancies exposed to interferon beta products did not identify an association between the use of interferon beta products during early pregnancy and an increased risk of major birth defects.
In a population-based cohort study conducted in Finland and Sweden, data were collected from 1996--2014 in Finland and 2005--2014 in Sweden on 2,831 pregnancy outcomes from women with MS. 797 pregnancies were in women exposed to interferon beta only. No evidence was found of an increased risk of major birth defects among women with MS exposed to interferon beta products compared to women with MS that were unexposed to any non-steroid therapy for MS (n=1,647) within the study. No increased risks were observed for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, though there were limitations in obtaining complete data capture for these outcomes, making the interpretation of the findings more difficult.
Two small cohort studies that examined pregnancies exposed to interferon beta products (without differentiating between subtypes of interferon beta products) suggested that a decrease in mean birth weight may be associated with interferon beta exposure during pregnancy, but this finding was not confirmed in larger observational studies. Two small studies observed an increased prevalence of miscarriage, although the finding was only statistically significant in one study. Most studies enrolled patients later in pregnancy, which made it difficult to ascertain the true percentage of miscarriages.
In one small cohort study, a significantly increased risk of preterm birth following interferon beta exposure during pregnancy was observed. Animal Data PLEGRIDY has not been tested for developmental…
For breastfeeding, also see LactMed (National Library of Medicine), which summarizes milk levels and infant effects.
Supply and cost
Drug shortage status
Recalls (last 24 months)
Therapeutic equivalence (Orange Book)
Price ladder
Not the price at the counterThese are not what a patient pays at the pharmacy counter. They are what pharmacies, health plans, and government buyers pay, before manufacturer rebates. A patient's cost depends on their insurance (copay, coinsurance, or deductible) or the pharmacy's cash price.