Obinutuzumab
Generic name: obinutuzumab
Brand name: Gazyva
Dosage form: intravenous (infusion) injection
Drug class:CD20 monoclonal antibodies
What is obinutuzumab?
Obinutuzumab is a type of targeted chemotherapy drug for the treatment of certain blood cancers.
Obinutuzumab is a biological drug called a monoclonal antibody that targets and attaches to CD20, a protein found on the surface of a type of white blood cells called B-cells.
B-cells, or B-lymphocytes as they are also known, usually help your body fight off infection, but some people produce abnormal numbers of B-cells which leads to cancer.
Obinutuzumab works by binding to normal and cancerous B-cells, marking them for destruction. Obinutuzumab works by calling in your own immune system cells to attack and break apart the marked B-cells, and by activating processes within the B-cells that instruct them to die.
Obintuzumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013. No biosimilars of obintuzumab have been approved. Biosimilars are highly similar versions of the drug that are designed to have the same effect on a person, but a biosimilar is not identical to the original version of the drug.
What is obinutuzumab used for?
Obinutuzumab is a prescription medication used in combination with:
- chlorambucil, for the treatment of patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- bendamustine followed by obinutuzumab alone, for the treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma who relapsed after, or are refractory to, a rituximab-containing regimen.
- chemotherapy followed by obintuzumab alone in patients achieving at least a partial remission, for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated stage II bulky, III or IV follicular lymphoma.
Important information
Obintuzumab can cause serious side effects including:
- Hepatitis B Virus (HBV): Hepatitis B can cause liver failure and death. If you have a history of hepatitis B infection, obintuzumab could cause it to return. You should not receive obintuzumab if you have active hepatitis B liver disease. Your doctor or healthcare team will need to screen you for hepatitis B before, and monitor you during and after, your treatment with obintuzumab. Sometimes this will require treatment for hepatitis B. Symptoms of hepatitis include: worsening of fatigue and yellow discoloration of skin or eyes
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): PML is a rare and serious brain infection caused by a virus. PML can be fatal. Your weakened immune system could put you at risk. Your doctor will watch for symptoms. Symptoms of PML include: confusion, difficulty talking or walking, dizziness or loss of balance, and vision problems
Who should not receive obinutuzumab?
Do not receive obinutuzumab if you have had an allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis or serum sickness) to obinutuzumab. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had an allergic reaction to obinutuzumab or any o...
