Monograph
L04AG06 - Alemtuzumab |
Propably not porphyrinogenic |
PNP |
Important Information
Patients on immunosuppressive therapy have an increased risk of infections. Since infections have a potential to trigger acute porphyric attacks vigilance is motivated regarding signs or symptoms of infection and/or possible symptoms of a porphyric attack. Side effects like nausea and vomiting may potentially be porphyrinogenic through reduction in carbohydrate intake.
Side effects
Infections are common in patients using immunosuppressants and since infections might trigger an acute porphyric attack, vigilance regarding signs and symptoms of an infection and/ or a porphyric attack is recommended. Common adverse reactions of alemtuzumab that can be confused with an acute porphyric attack are nausea and vomiting. These side effects may potentially be porphyrinogenic if leading to a decrease in carbohydrate intake.
Rationale
Alemtuzumab is not metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes. No pharmacokinetic porphyrinogenic effects are suspected.
Chemical description
Alemtuzumab is a humanised derivative of campath-1G, a rat monoclonal antibody to the CD52 antigen found on lymphocytes.
Therapeutic characteristics
Alemtuzumab is an antineoplastic and immunomodulating agent. It is indicated for treatment of adult patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. It is administered by an intravenous infusion.
Metabolism and pharmacokinetics
Mechanisms for elimination of monoclonal antibodies are not well documented but are reported to include proteolysis by the liver and the reticuloendothelial system, target-mediated elimination and nonspecific endocytosis (Keizer 2010). Alemtuzumab is not eliminated via CYP enzymes (EMA).
References
| # | Citation details | PMID |
|---|---|---|
| * | Scientific articles | |
| 1. | Clinical pharmacokinetics of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.
Keizer RJ, Huitema AD et al. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2010 Aug; 49 (8):493-507. |
|
| * | Drug reference publications | |
| 2. | DrugBank. Alemtuzumab.
|
|
| * | Summary of Product Characteristics | |
| 3. | The electronic Medicines Compendium (emc). Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Lemtrada. (Last edition: 12/2013).
|
|
Similar drugs
Tradenames and packages
From some sources, we get a list of packages (United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia).
Other sources contain more or less "clean" versions of the trade name (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway).
What you see here is the raw data we get from each country, so there will appear to be duplicates. The bold names
are the searchable terms. The gray names that follow are all mapped to the bolded term.
Note: The cleaning is done automatically by a proprietary algorithm, and it may produce errors.
We strive to improve it continuously.
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Denmark
Norway
Iceland
Finland
Latvia© NAPOS 2024