Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) FAQs

KEVZARA is an injectable prescription medicine called an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blocker. KEVZARA is used to treat adults with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) after corticosteroids have been used and did not work well or when a slow decrease in the dose of corticosteroids (taper) cannot be tolerated.

KEVZARA works by blocking IL-6. IL-6 is an immune system protein produced by your white blood cells. High levels of IL-6 are believed to play an important part in PMR symptoms.

If your current treatment plan isn’t working well, it might be time for a change. KEVZARA works differently by blocking the IL-6 protein that causes PMR inflammation. Learn more about how KEVZARA may help.

KEVZARA can cause serious side effects including:

• SERIOUS INFECTIONS: KEVZARA is a medicine that affects your immune system. KEVZARA can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Some people have had serious infections while using KEVZARA, including tuberculosis (TB), and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses that can spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections. Your healthcare provider should test you for TB before starting KEVZARA. Your healthcare provider should monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with KEVZARA.
• Before starting KEVZARA, tell your healthcare provider if you
  • think you have an infection or have signs or symptoms of an infection, with or without a fever such as sweats or chills, muscle aches, a cough, shortness of breath, blood in your phlegm, weight loss, warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body, diarrhea or stomach pain, burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal, if you feel very tired, or if you are being treated for an infection, get a lot of infections or have repeated infections
  • have diabetes, HIV, or a weakened immune system
  • have TB, or have been in close contact with someone with TB
  • live or have lived, or have traveled to certain parts of the country (such as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and the Southwest) where there is an increased chance of getting certain fungal infections (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis)
  • have or have had hepatitis
• After starting KEVZARA, call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of an infection.
• CHANGES IN CERTAIN LABORATORY TEST RESULTS: Your healthcare provider should do blood tests before and after starting KEVZARA to check for low neutrophil (white blood cells that help the body fight off bacterial infections) counts, low platelet (blood cells that help with blood clotting and stop bleeding) counts, and an increase in certain liver function tests. Changes in test results are common with KEVZARA and can be severe. You may also have changes in other laboratory tests, such as your blood cholesterol levels. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests 4 to 8 weeks after starting KEVZARA and then every 6 months during treatment to check for an increase in blood cholesterol levels.
• TEARS (PERFORATION) OF THE STOMACH OR INTESTINES: Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a condition known as diverticulitis (inflammation in parts of the large intestine) or ulcers in your stomach or intestines. Some people using KEVZARA get tears in their stomach or intestine. This happens most often in people who also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), corticosteroids, or methotrexate. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have fever and stomach (abdominal) pain that does not go away.
• CANCER: KEVZARA may increase your risk of certain cancers by changing the way your immune system works. Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had any type of cancer.
• SERIOUS ALLERGIC REACTIONS: Serious allergic reactions can happen with KEVZARA. Get medical attention right away if you have any of the following signs: shortness of breath or trouble breathing; feeling dizzy or faint; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; moderate or severe stomach (abdominal) pain or vomiting; or chest pain.

Your healthcare provider may not prescribe KEVZARA if your neutrophil or platelet counts are too low, or your liver function tests are too high. Your healthcare provider may stop your KEVZARA treatment for a period of time or change your dose if needed because of changes in these blood test results.

These are not all the possible side effects of KEVZARA. For the full list of side effects, please see the KEVZARA full Prescribing Information, including risk of SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, and Medication Guide.

• Before using KEVZARA, tell your healthcare provider if you
  • have an infection
  • have liver problems
  • have had stomach (abdominal) pain or a condition known as diverticulitis (inflammation in parts of the large intestine) or ulcers in your stomach or intestines
  • recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. People who take KEVZARA should not receive live vaccines
    • all vaccines should be brought up-to-date before starting KEVZARA, unless urgent treatment initiation is required
  • plan to have surgery or a medical procedure
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if KEVZARA will harm your unborn baby
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use KEVZARA. It is not known if KEVZARA passes into your breast milk
  • take prescription or nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. It is especially important to tell your healthcare provider if you use
    • any other medicines to treat your RA or PMR. Using KEVZARA with these medicines may increase your risk of infection
    • medicines that affect the way certain liver enzymes work. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if your medicine is one of these

For Important Information you should know about KEVZARA, please see the KEVZARA full Prescribing Information, including risk of SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, and Medication Guide.

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed.

It is not known if KEVZARA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking KEVZARA.

It is not known if KEVZARA passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use KEVZARA.

You and your doctor should consider the potential risks and benefits of taking KEVZARA while pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not take KEVZARA while pregnant or breastfeeding without talking to your doctor first.

See the detailed Instructions for Use that come with your Medication Guide for instructions about the right way to give your KEVZARA injections at home. You can also learn how to take KEVZARA on this site.

• KEVZARA is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection)
• KEVZARA is available as a single-use pre-filled syringe or single-use pre-filled pen. Your healthcare provider will prescribe the 200 mg dose and type of device (pen/syringe) that is best for you
• If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give the injections of KEVZARA at home, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject KEVZARA. Do not try to inject KEVZARA until you have been shown the right way to give the injections by your healthcare provider
• Inject 1 dose of KEVZARA every 2 weeks

If you do miss a dose, call your doctor for instructions.

Whether you’ve just been prescribed KEVZARA or have already started taking it, the KevzaraConnect® Copay Card helps eligible, commercially insured patients with their out-of-pocket treatment costs for KEVZARA.

With the copay card, eligible patients can pay as little as $0 copay per month. Maximum annual copay assistance is $15,000. This program is not valid for prescriptions covered by or submitted for reimbursement under Medicaid, Medicare, VA, DOD, TRICARE or similar federal or state programs, including any state pharmaceutical assistance program. See the fullTerms and Conditions.

See the KevzaraConnect® Copay Card section to apply for the copay card.

If you applied and were not eligible for the Copay Card, KevzaraConnect® may be able to help through our Patient Assistance Program. Patients will need to meet the eligibility criteria, including household income, to qualify. The KevzaraConnect® team can research each patient’s situation and determine eligibility.

For more information, contact us at: 1-844-KEVZARA (1-844-538-9272).