Injection
Read this Medication Guide before you start receiving and before each dose of Xolair. This Medication Guide does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about Xolair?
A severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis can happen when you receive Xolair. The reaction can occur after the first dose, or after many doses. It may also occur right after a Xolair injection or days later. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening condition and can lead to death. Go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have any of these symptoms of an allergic reaction:
wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, or trouble breathing
low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, rapid or weak heartbeat, anxiety, or feeling of “impending doom”
flushing, itching, hives, or feeling warm
swelling of the throat or tongue, throat tightness, hoarse voice, or trouble swallowing
Your healthcare provider will monitor you closely for symptoms of an allergic reaction while you are receiving Xolair and for a period of time after your injection. Your healthcare provider should talk to you about getting medical treatment if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction after leaving the healthcare provider’s office or treatment center.
What is Xolair?Xolair is an injectable prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older with:
moderate to severe persistent asthma whose asthma symptoms are not controlled by asthma medicines called inhaled corticosteroids. A skin or blood test is performed to see if you have allergies to year-round allergens.
chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU; chronic hives without a known cause) who continue to have hives that are not controlled by H1 antihistamine treatment.
Xolair is not used to treat other allergic conditions, other forms of urticaria, acute bronchospasm or status asthmaticus.
Do not receive Xolair if you:
• are allergic to omalizumab or any of the ingredients in Xolair. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Xolair.
Before receiving Xolair, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
have any other allergies (such as food allergy or seasonal allergies)
have sudden breathing problems (bronchospasm)
have ever had a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis
have or have had a parasitic infection
have or have had cancer
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Xolair may harm your unborn baby.
if you become pregnant while taking Xolair, talk to your healthcare provider aboutregistering with the Xolair Pregnancy Registry. You can get more information and register by calling 1-866-4XOLAIR (1-866-496-5247) or visit www.xolairpregnancyregistry.com. The purpose of this registry is to monitor pregnancy outcomes in women receiving Xolair during pregnancy.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Xolair passes into your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while you receive Xolair.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
How should I receive Xolair?
Xolair should be given by your healthcare provider, in a healthcare setting.
Xolair is given in 1 or more injections under the skin (subcutaneous), 1 time every 2 or 4 weeks.
In asthma patients, a blood test for a substance called IgE must be performed prior to starting Xolair to determine the appropriate dose and dosing frequency.
In patients with chronic hives, a blood test is not necessary to determine the dose or dosing frequency.
Do not decrease or stop taking any of your other asthma or hive medicine unless your healthcare providers tell you to.
You may not see improvement in your symptoms right away after Xolair treatment.
What are the possible side effects of Xolair?
Xolair may cause serious side effects, including:
See, “What is the most important information I should know about Xolair?”
Cancer. People who receive treatment with Xolair may have a higher chance for getting certain types of cancer.
Fever, muscle aches, and rash. Some people who take Xolair get these symptoms 1 to 5 days after receiving a Xolair injection. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider.
Parasitic infection. Some people who are at a high risk for parasite (worm) infections, get a parasite infection after receiving Xolair. Your healthcare provider can test your stool to check if you have a parasite infection.
Some people who receive Xolair have had chest pain, heart attack, blood clots in the lungs or legs, or temporary symptoms of weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, or altered vision. It is not known whether this is caused by Xolair.
The most common side effects of Xolair:In people with asthma: pain especially in your arms and legs, dizziness, feeling tired, skin rash, bone fractures, and pain or discomfort of your ears.
In people with chronic idiopathic urticaria: nausea, headaches, swelling of the inside of your nose, throat or sinuses, cough, joint pain, and upper respiratory tract infection.
These are not all the possible side effects of Xolair. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
General information about the safe and effective use of Xolair.Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about Xolair that is written for health professionals. Do not use Xolair for a condition for which it was not prescribed.
For more information, go to www.xolair.com or call 1-866-4XOLAIR (1-866-496-5247).
Active ingredient: omalizumab
Inactive ingredients: L-histidine, L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, polysorbate 20 and sucrose
This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
-FDA
