Leuject
Leuject is a medicine used to treat hairy cell leukemia, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells.
Form
injektioneste, liuos
Strength
2 mg/ml
Active Ingredient
Cladribine
Manufacturer
Atnahs Pharma Netherlands B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will calculate your dose based on your weight; the usual daily dose is 0.14 mg per kg for five days.
Method
The medication is injected under the skin at the same time each day.
Important
The maximum recommended daily dose is 0.14 mg per kg of body weight.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Infections
- •Fever
- •Low counts of certain white blood cells (neutrophils and lymphocytes) and platelets in blood tests.
- •Low red blood cell count, which can lead to anemia with symptoms like tiredness and drowsiness.
- •Your body's immune system may not work as well.
- •Headache, dizziness.
- •Unusual breathing sounds, unusual chest sounds, cough.
- •Nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.
- •Rash, swelling, redness, and pain around the injection site, sweating. These skin reactions are usually mild to moderate and disappear within a few days.
- •Fatigue, chills, reduced appetite.
- •Weakness.
- •Cancer coming back (recurrence of malignant disease).
- •Low platelet count, which can cause unusual bleeding (e.g., from the nose or skin).
- •Insomnia, restlessness.
- •Fast heart rate, heart murmur, low blood pressure, and less blood flow to the heart muscle.
- •Shortness of breath, lung inflammation due to infection, and inflammation of the mouth and tongue.
- •Abdominal pain and gas, slightly high liver enzyme levels that return to normal after treatment.
- •Itching, itchy rash (hives), redness, and skin pain.
- •Tissue swelling (edema), feeling unwell, pains (muscle, joint, and bone pain).
RARE
- •Anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells.
- •Insomnia, numbness and tingling of the skin, feeling of weakness, inactivity, nerve disorders outside the brain and spinal cord, confusion, impaired coordination.
- •Eye inflammation.
- •Sore throat.
- •Vein inflammation.
- •Severe weight loss.
- •Liver failure.
- •Kidney failure.
- •Complications from cancer treatment due to the breakdown of cancer cells.
- •Reaction where the body rejects blood transfusions.
- •Increased number of certain white blood cells called eosinophils.
- •Stroke.
- •Speech and swallowing disorders.
- •Heart failure.
- •Abnormal heart rhythm.
- •Heart's inability to pump enough blood for the body's needs.
- •Bowel obstruction.
- •Severe allergic skin reaction (Stevens-Johnson syndrome or Lyell's syndrome).
- •Depression, epileptic seizure.
- •Eyelid swelling.
- •Blood clot in the lung.
- •Gallbladder inflammation.
- •Organ dysfunction due to a build-up of a special protein (glycoprotein) produced by the body.
Important Warnings
- Do not use Leuject if you are allergic to cladribine or any other ingredients in the medicine.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. You must use effective birth control during treatment and for at least 6 months after your last dose.
- Do not use if you are under 18 years old.
- Do not use if you have moderate to severe kidney or liver problems.
- Tell your doctor if you are taking other medicines that affect the production of blood cells in your bone marrow.
Show 3 more warnings
- Contact your doctor or nurse immediately if you experience blurred vision, vision loss, double vision, trouble speaking, weakness in an arm or leg, changes in walking, balance problems, ongoing numbness, memory loss, or confusion. These could be signs of a serious, potentially fatal brain disease called PML.
- Tell your doctor if you have an infection or fever during or after treatment. Any infections must be treated before you start Leuject.
- Do not drive or operate machines if you feel tired or dizzy.