Arzerra (Ofatumumab) for Leukemia

Overview
Arzerra is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (SLL/CLL). Arzerra is often prescribed in combination with Cytoxan, Leukeran, or Fludara. Arzerra is also known by its drug name, ofatumumab.

Arzerra is used in immunotherapy for cancer. Arzerra is a biologic drug – a genetically engineered protein, or antibody – that attacks specific targets. In cases of SLL/CLL, Arzerra is believed to work by attacking the CD20 antigen, a protein located on the surface of white blood cells called B-lymphocytes.

How do I take it?
Arzerra is administered as an intravenous infusion. The frequency of Arzerra administration depends on how the drug is being used.

Arzerra comes in the form of a single-dose vial.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Arzerra lists common side effects including fever, fatigue, cough, rash, upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, bronchitis, low blood cell counts, and infusion reactions.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Arzerra can include reactivation of the hepatitis B virus and tumor lysis syndrome – a potentially fatal metabolic condition caused when many cancer cells die at the same time. Taking Arzerra increases the risk of developing a fatal brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Arzerra — Novartis
https://www.us.arzerra.com

Immunotherapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma — American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkin-lymph...