Itolizumab
About Itolizumab
Itolizumab is a specialised medicine used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, an autoimmune condition that causes red, itchy, and scaly patches on the skin. It works by targeting specific pathways in the immune system to reduce inflammation and calm skin cell overproduction. Your doctor will prescribe this treatment when other standard therapies have not worked well enough.
This medicine is given as an injection or infusion at regular intervals, and maintaining a consistent schedule is highly important for achieving the best results. Since this medicine is administered by injection or intravenous infusion, food does not affect its administration. Staying well hydrated before your appointment may be recommended, unless your doctor advises otherwise. Combining this treatment with a healthy diet and lifestyle, such as keeping your skin well-moisturized and managing stress, can further help manage your symptoms.
While taking Itolizumab, you may experience mild side effects like itching, headaches, or slight pain where the medicine was injected. However, if you experience serious side effects such as a high fever, severe cough, or difficulty breathing, you must contact your doctor immediately. These symptoms could point to an infection, which requires urgent medical evaluation.
Before you start using Itolizumab, tell your doctor if you have a history of chronic infections, tuberculosis, or liver damage. Do not take this if you currently have an active, severe infection or if you have had a severe allergic reaction to this medicine or its ingredients in the past. Your safety is the priority, so a thorough medical check is necessary before your first dose.
This medicine can interact with other drugs that lower your immune system and with certain live vaccines, which should be avoided during treatment. It is also important to talk to your doctor if you drink alcohol regularly or smoke, as these can affect how your body responds to the treatment. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or are an elderly individual, consult your healthcare provider to discuss the safety of this medication.
Uses of Itolizumab
Medicinal Benefits
Itolizumab helps control the underlying inflammation responsible for psoriasis, providing long-term symptom relief and improving skin health. The key benefits include:
- Clears Psoriasis Plaques: Helps reduce the thickness, redness, and scaling of psoriasis plaques by targeting the underlying inflammatory process.
- Reduces Itching and Discomfort: Provides long-term relief from persistent itching, skin tightness, and irritation, improving overall comfort.
- Improves Quality of Life: Helps keep symptoms under control, making daily activities and movement more comfortable while reducing the frequency of flare-ups.
Directions for Use
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication to ensure safety.
- Itolizumab will be administered by the doctor or healthcare professional.
- Do not self-administer.
Storage
Side Effects of Itolizumab
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Nausea or mild upset stomach
- Itching, skin rash, or hives
- Mild headache or dizziness
- Redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site
Serious Side Effects (Consult your doctor right away):
- Signs of a severe infection, such as a high fever, chills, persistent sore throat, or deep cough
- Severe allergic reactions, including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, extreme dizziness, or trouble breathing
- Signs of liver damage, such as unusual fatigue, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin and eyes
Drug Warnings
- Inspect Before Use: Check the solution before each injection. It should be clear to slightly cloudy and colourless to pale yellow. Do not use it if you notice floating particles or significant discolouration.
- Report Signs of Infection: Tell your doctor immediately if you develop symptoms of an infection, such as a cold, flu, fever, or open skin wounds, as your treatment may need to be delayed.
- Avoid Live Vaccines: Do not receive live vaccines, such as the yellow fever or shingles vaccine, while using this medicine unless advised by your doctor.
- Rotate Injection Sites: If you have been instructed to self-inject, rotate injection sites, such as the thigh or abdomen, to help reduce skin soreness and irritation.
Drug Interactions
Inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines, as they may interact with this medicine and affect its safety or effectiveness.
- Other immune-suppressing medicines: Combining Itolizumab with other biologics or immunosuppressive drugs can significantly increase your risk of developing serious infections.
- Live vaccines: Taking this medicine alongside live vaccines may cause the vaccine to trigger an active infection because your immune defences are modified.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionYou are recommended to avoid alcohol consumption while taking Itolizumab. Alcohol intake, along with Itolizumab, may cause increased dizziness.
Pregnancy
unsafeItolizumab is not recommended during pregnancy since it may have harmful effects on the developing baby. Your doctor will prescribe Itolizumab only if the benefit outweighs the risk.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is not known if Itolizumab passes into the breastmilk when used by breastfeeding mother. Your doctor will prescribe Itolizumab only if the benefit outweighs the risk.
Driving
unsafeItolizumab may make you feel dizzy. Do not drive or operate machinery if you experience dizziness.
Liver
cautionPlease consult your doctor since Itolizumab should be used with caution in patients with liver impairment/liver disease. Dose adjustment may be needed in patients with liver impairment. However, Itolizumab is not recommended in patients with active liver diseases.
Kidney
cautionPlease consult your doctor since Itolizumab should be used with caution in patients with kidney impairment/kidney disease. Dose adjustment may be required.
Children
unsafeItolizumab is not recommended in children and adolescents younger than 18 years of age.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Follow a Healthy Diet: Eat a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet rich in leafy green vegetables, berries, and omega-3 fatty acids (such as flaxseeds or oily fish) to support skin health.
- Moisturise Regularly: Apply a gentle, fragrance-free moisturiser immediately after bathing to lock in moisture and help protect the skin barrier.
- Avoid Smoking and Limit Alcohol: Do not smoke and limit alcohol consumption, as both can trigger psoriasis flare-ups and reduce the effectiveness of treatment.
- Manage Stress: Practise stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or gentle walking, as stress can worsen psoriasis symptoms and trigger flare-ups.
Special Advise
- It is advised to closely monitor the patient for infections like active tuberculosis during and after the treatment though the patient gets a negative tuberculin test.
- It is essential to inform your doctor if you have any active viral, bacterial, and fungal infections before starting Itolizumab.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Psoriasis: It is a skin disorder in which skin cells multiply and form bumpy (uneven) red patches covered with white scales. These red patches can commonly appear on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. Psoriasis is a noncontagious (not spread by contact), chronic immune condition with no cure. It can be mild, moderate, and severe based on the patches coverage on the skin.
Rheumatoid arthritis: It is an autoimmune disease (the body's immune system attacks its tissue), leading to joint pain and damage. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain, swelling, stiffness, deformities, and loss of joint function.
COVID-19: It is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). It mainly affects the respiratory system and is spread through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. Common symptoms include fever, dry cough, tiredness, body aches, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, and conjunctivitis. With the severity of the disease, symptoms like dropping oxygen saturation levels, shortness of breath, chest pain, high fever, and severe weakness are also noticed. The coronavirus can further lead to complications like pneumonia, respiratory failure, heart problems, liver problems, septic shock, and death.
FAQs
Itolizumab contains Itolizumab, an immunomodulator. It reduces the synthesis of pro-inflammatory markers called cytokines. Thus, it helps in decreasing inflammation in various diseases like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
Itolizumab is currently being used to decrease the negative outcome of the cytokine storm in critically, severely and moderately ill COVID-19 patients.
Itolizumab is to be carefully administered with caution in patients under doctor's supervision only. The safety of Itolizumab is not yet evaluated in conditions like neutropenia (low levels of neutrophils), lymphopenia (low levels of lymphocytes), AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C.
Even if there is no improvement after administering Itolizumab, your doctor may suggest an alternate course. Please note that Itolizumab does not reverse the damage caused due to coronavirus infection, but it will further prevent the inflammation of the lungs. It is also advised to medically examine for other lung and heart related dysfunctions even the patient suffers breathlessness after Itolizumab administration.
It is not recommended to get live attenuated vaccines while being treated with Itolizumab. This may lead to serious conditions. Please consult a doctor before you start Itolizumab if you are undergoing any vaccinations.
There is limited data on the safety of this medicine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor to carefully weigh the potential benefits against any risks to your baby.
Hair loss is not a commonly recognized side effect of this medicine. If you notice unusual hair thinning, talk to your doctor to check for other potential causes.
While there is no direct chemical interaction, alcohol can trigger psoriasis flare-ups and place extra strain on your liver. It is best to consult your doctor about safe alcohol limits.
Mild injection site reactions are common and usually go away on their own. Applying a cool compress can help soothe the skin. If the redness, swelling, or pain worsens, contact your doctor.
Yes, but you must keep it cool using a travel cooler bag with ice packs to maintain the temperature between 2°C to 8°C. Do not let the medication freeze, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist for travel tips.
