Abatacept: What Should I Discuss With My Health Care Provider Before Receiving Abatacept

Content provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving abatacept?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to abatacept, or if you are also using any of the following other medications:

• anakinra (Kineret);
• etanercept (Enbrel);
• infliximab (Remicade); or
• adalimumab (Humira).

If you are switching to abatacept from one of the medications listed above, watch for new signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding, or unusual weakness. If you develop any of these symptoms, call your doctor.

Before receiving abatacept, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• a history of tuberculosis;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD);
• any type of infection such as the flu or an infected skin wound; or
• a history of infections that come and go.

If you have any of the conditions listed above, you may not be able to use abatacept or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment.

Before you receive abatacept, your doctor may require you to have a skin test to make sure you do not have tuberculosis.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether abatacept passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

A few people who have received abatacept have developed cancer, but it is not known if abatacept causes cancer. Talk to your doctor about your individual risk of developing cancer.

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Last updated:	April 30, 2007