Belatacept
Generic name: belatacept [ bel-AT-a-sept ]
Brand name: Nulojix
Dosage form: intravenous powder for injection (250 mg)
Drug class:Selective immunosuppressants
What is belatacept?
Belatacept weakens your body's immune system, to help keep it from "rejecting" a transplanted organ such as a kidney. Organ rejection happens when the immune system treats the new organ as an invader and attacks it.
Belatacept is used with other medicines to prevent organ rejection after a kidney transplant. Belatacept is given only to people who have been exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus (your doctor will test your blood to confirm this).
Belatacept may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Warnings
Belatacept may cause your body to overproduce white blood cells. This can lead to cancer, severe brain infection causing disability or death, or a viral infection causing kidney transplant failure.
Call your doctor right away if you have: fever, swollen glands, flu symptoms, night sweats, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, burning when you urinate, blood in your urine, a new skin lesion, any change in your mental state, decreased vision, weakness on one side of your body, problems with speech or walking, or pain around your transplant.
Before taking this medicine
You should not be treated with belatacept if you are allergic to it, or if you've never been exposed to Epstein-Barr virus.
Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using belatacept. Belatacept can affect your immune system, and may cause overproduction of certain white blood cells. This can lead to cancer, severe brain infection causing disability or death, or a viral infection causing kidney transplant failure.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
cytomegalovirus (CMV); or
if you are scheduled to receive any vaccine.
It is not known whether belatacept will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
If you are pregnant, or you are a man and your sex partner is pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of belatacept on the baby.
You should not breast-feed while you are using belatacept.
How is belatacept given?
Belatacept is gi...
