Indication
Gamifant® (emapalumab-lzsg) is an interferon gamma (IFNγ)–blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (newborn and older) patients with primary... hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) with refractory, recurrent, or progressive disease or intolerance with conventional HLH therapy.
Important Safety Information
Infections
Before initiating Gamifant, patients should be evaluated for infection, including latent tuberculosis (TB)... Prophylaxis for TB should be administered to patients who are at risk for TB or known to have a positive purified protein derivative (PPD) test result or positive IFNγ release assay.
Indication
Gamifant® (emapalumab-lzsg) is an interferon gamma (IFNγ)–blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (newborn and older) patients with primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) with refractory, recurrent, or progressive disease or intolerance with conventional HLH therapy.
Important Safety Information
Infections
Before initiating Gamifant, patients should be evaluated for infection, including latent tuberculosis (TB). Prophylaxis for TB should be administered to patients who are at risk for TB or known to have a positive purified protein derivative (PPD) test result or positive IFNγ release assay.
During Gamifant treatment, patients should be monitored for TB, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) every 2 weeks and as clinically indicated.
Patients should be administered prophylaxis for herpes zoster, Pneumocystis jirovecii, and fungal infections prior to Gamifant administration.
Increased Risk of Infection With Use of Live Vaccines
Do not administer live or live attenuated vaccines to patients receiving Gamifant and for at least 4 weeks after the last dose of Gamifant. The safety of immunization with live vaccines during or following Gamifant therapy has not been studied.
Infusion-Related Reactions
Infusion-related reactions, including drug eruption, pyrexia, rash, erythema, and hyperhidrosis, were reported with Gamifant treatment in 27% of patients. In one-third of these patients, the infusion-related reaction occurred during the first infusion.
Adverse Reactions
In the pivotal trial, the most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥10%) for Gamifant included infection (56%), hypertension (41%), infusion-related reactions (27%), pyrexia (24%), hypokalemia (15%), constipation (15%), rash (12%), abdominal pain (12%), CMV infection (12%), diarrhea (12%), lymphocytosis (12%), cough (12%), irritability (12%), tachycardia (12%), and tachypnea (12%).
Additional selected adverse reactions (all grades) that were reported in less than 10% of patients treated with Gamifant included vomiting, acute kidney injury, asthenia, bradycardia, dyspnea, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, epistaxis, and peripheral edema.
Click here for full Prescribing Information for Gamifant.
You may also contact Sobi at medinfo.us@sobi.com or 866-773-5274.
References
- Jordan MB, Allen CE, Weitzman S, Filipovich AH, McClain KL. How I treat hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Blood. 2011;118(15):4041-4052. doi:10.1182/blood-2011-03-278127
- Sepulveda FE, de Saint Basile G. Hemophagocytic syndrome: primary forms and predisposing conditions. Curr Opin Immunol. 2017;49:20-26. doi:10.1016/j.coi.2017.08.004
- Prencipe G, Caiello I, Pascarella A, et al. Neutralization of IFN-γ reverts clinical and laboratory features in a mouse model of macrophage activation syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018;141(4):1439-1449. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2017.07.021
- Marsh RA, Haddad E. How I treat primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Br J Haematol. 2018;182(2):185-199. doi: 10.1111/bjh.15274
- Price B, Lines J, Lewis D, Holland N. Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a fulminant syndrome associated with multiorgan failure and high mortality that frequently masquerades as sepsis and shock. S Afr Med J. 2014;104(6):401-406. doi:10.7196/samj.7810
- Halyabar O, Chang MH, Schoettler ML, et al. Calm in the midst of cytokine storm: a collaborative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and macrophage activation syndrome. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2019;17(1):7. doi:10.1186/s12969-019-0309-6
- Gamifant (emapalumab-lszg) prescribing information. Stockholm, Sweden: Sobi, Inc. 2022.
PRIMARY HLH IS RAPIDLY PROGRESSIVE AND OFTEN FATAL1
Primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, hyperinflammatory condition of immune dysregulation. It is characterized by IFNγ-activated macrophages that release an uncontrolled surge of proinflammatory cytokines. The resulting hyperinflammation quickly becomes life-threatening.2
Without timely diagnosis and effective treatment, the median survival for patients with primary HLH is under 2 months.1
Early identification is critical but challenging1
Heterogeneous presentation of nonspecific symptoms often delays diagnosis1,3-5
- Persistent high fever (>102°F [38.9°C], lasting ≥4 days)
- Infection
- Rash
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Liver function impairment (eg, elevated liver enzymes and triglycerides)
- Pulmonary dysfunction
- Hyperferritinemia
- Coagulation defects
- Severe cytopenia (affecting hemoglobin, platelets, and/or neutrophils)
- Seizures and central nervous system involvement
Many patients with primary HLH are admitted to the intensive care unit due to delays in diagnosis1
Collaboration between various specialists can help shorten the time it takes to identify this rare condition.6 These include:
- Emergency room physicians
- Immunologists
- Pathologists
- Clinical pharmacologists
- Rheumatologists
- Neurologists
- Hematologists
- Oncologists
