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KEVZARA is an injectable prescription medicine called an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blocker. KEVZARA is used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after at least one other medicine called a disease‑modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) has been used and did not work well or could not be tolerated.

KEVZARA is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection) once every 2 weeks, and comes in 2 doses—200 mg/1.14 mL or 150 mg/1.14 mL. You should take KEVZARA exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.

Your immune system works hard to keep your body healthy by asking proteins to fight any infection or injury that it detects. For people with RA, however, their immune system actually causes harm, because it also attacks joints and other parts of the body that are healthy. That’s why RA is called an autoimmune disorder.

KEVZARA blocks one of these proteins—the interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein. KEVZARA can reduce the pain and swollen joints that you feel with RA. It is proven to slow the progression of joint damage over time.

Most doctors initially prescribe a biologic known as a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).

If your TNFi stops working, doesn’t work as well as it used to, or if your body can’t tolerate it, a different type of
biologic may help.

KEVZARA may be that option for you. KEVZARA is different because it blocks a protein known as interleukin-6 (IL-6).

KEVZARA can cause serious side effects including:

• Serious Infections. KEVZARA is a prescription medicine that affects your immune system. KEVZARA can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Some people have 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.

  You should not start using KEVZARA if you have any kind of infection unless your healthcare provider says it is okay. Before starting KEVZARA, tell your healthcare provider if you:

  • think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, with or without a fever:
    • sweats or chills
    • muscle aches
    • 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
    • feeling very tired

  • are being treated for an infection.

  • get a lot of infections or have infections that keep coming back.

  • have diabetes, HIV, or a weak immune system. People with these conditions have a higher chance of getting infections.

  • 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). These infections may happen more often or become more severe if you use KEVZARA. Ask your healthcare provider if you do not know if you have lived in an area where these infections are common.

  • 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 you start KEVZARA, 4 to 8 weeks after starting KEVZARA, and then every 3 months during treatment to check for:

  • low neutrophil count. Neutrophils are white blood cells that help the body fight off bacterial infections. A low neutrophil count is common with KEVZARA, and can be severe.

  • low platelet count. Platelets are blood cells that help with blood clotting and stop bleeding.

  • increase in certain liver function tests. An increase in certain liver function tests is common with KEVZARA, and can be severe.

  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. 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.

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

Before using KEVZARA, talk to your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have an infection. See What is the most important information I should know about KEVZARA?
• have liver problems
• have had stomach (abdominal) pain or been diagnosed with diverticulitis or ulcers in your stomach or intestines
• have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. People who take KEVZARA should not receive live vaccines
• 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. Pregnancy Registry: Sanofi has a registry for pregnant women who use KEVZARA. The purpose of this registry is to gather information about the health of the pregnant mother and her baby. If you are pregnant or become pregnant while using KEVZARA, talk to your healthcare provider about how you can join this pregnancy registry or call 1‑877‑311‑8972 to enroll
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 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

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.

If you are pregnant or become pregnant while using KEVZARA, there is a pregnancy registry for women who take KEVZARA during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about your health and your baby’s health. You can talk to your healthcare provider, contact 1‑877‑311‑8972, or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/kevzara/ to enroll in this registry or get more information.

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 view our injection training videos on this site.

• KEVZARA is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection)
• KEVZARA comes as a single-use pre-filled pen or pre-filled syringe. Your doctor will prescribe the dose that’s best for you
• If your doctor 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 inject KEVZARA. Do not try to inject KEVZARA until you have been shown the right way to give the injections by your doctor
• 1 injection of KEVZARA should be taken every 2 weeks
• If you do miss a dose, call your healthcare provider 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 full Terms and Conditions.

See the KevzaraConnect Copay Card section to apply for the copay card, or to activate an existing KevzaraConnect Copay Card.

To help you get started on KEVZARA, we offer the KevzaraConnect^® program. With your prescription, KevzaraConnect offers you access to information and services, including Nurse Educator support, and kits that offer product information, and lifestyle tips.