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Aranesp ( dar-be-POE-e-tin AL-fa) stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. If the body does not produce enough red blood cells, severe anemia can occur. This often occurs in people with chronic kidney failure whose kidneys are not working properly. Anemia can also occur in people who have cancer and are receiving chemotherapy to treat their cancer. Aranesp is used to treat severe anemia in these people. Darbepoetin may be used for patients on dialysis and for patients not on dialysis. Aranesp is given by injection. It is available only with your doctor's prescription and is available in the following dosage form: Parenteral Injection (U.S. and Canada)
Darbepoetin is used to treat anemia (a lower than normal number of red blood cells) in people with serious kidney disease. Darbepoetin is also used to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy (medications used to treat cancer) in patients with some types of cancer. Darbepoetin is in a class of medications called erythropoiesis stimulating proteins. It works by causing the bone marrow (soft tissue inside the bones where blood is made) to make more red blood cells. This may improve your energy and activity level and may decrease your need for transfusion (transfer of another person's blood to your body). Darbepoetin comes as a solution (liquid) to inject subcutaneously (just under the skin) or intravenously (into a vein) . It is usually injected once a week or once every two weeks. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use darbepoetin exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of darbepoetin and gradually increase or decrease your dose, not more than once every month. Your doctor may also tell you to stop using darbepoetin for a time. Follow these instructions carefully. If your doctor tells you to stop using darbepoetin, do not begin using it again until your doctor tells you that you should. It is likely your doctor will restart your treatment with a lower dose of darbepoetin than you were using. Darbepoetin controls anemia but does not cure it. It may take 2 to 6 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of darbepoetin. Continue to use darbepoetin even if you feel well. Do not stop using darbepoetin without talking to your doctor. Darbepoetin injections are usually given by a doctor or nurse. Your doctor may decide that you can inject darbepoetin yourself, or have a friend or relative give the injections.Your doctor will train the person who will be injecting the medication, and will test him to be sure he can give the injection correctly. Be sure that you and the person who will be giving the injections read the manufacturer's information for the patient that comes with darbepoetin before you use it for the first time at home. Darbepoetin comes in prefilled syringes and also in vials to use with disposable syringes. Use a vial and prefilled or disposable syringe only once. Do not put a needle through the rubber stopper of a vial more than once. Throw away a vial, syringe, or prefilled syringe after one use, even if it is not empty. Throw away used syringes in a puncture-resistant container, out of the reach of children. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how to throw away the puncture-resistant container. There may be special state and local laws for throwing away used needles and syringes. If you are using vials of darbepoetin, you will need to use disposable syringes to inject your medication. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you what type of syringe you should use. Do not use any other type of syringe because you may not get the right amount of medication. You should prepare doses of darbepoetin just prior to use. Darbepoetin solution comes ready to use. Never shake a vial of darbepoetin solution, and never mix it with any other medication. If you are injecting darbepoetin subcutaneously, you can inject it just under the skin anywhere on these parts of your body: the outer area of your upper arms, your stomach except for the two-inch area around your navel (belly button), the front of your middle thighs, and the upper outer areas of your buttocks. Choose a new spot each time you inject darbepoetin. Do not inject darbepoetin into a spot that is tender, red, bruised, hard, lumpy, swollen, or that has scars or stretch marks. To prepare a dose using a darbepoetin prefilled syringe, follow these steps: Find a clean, flat work surface such as a table Tear off one syringe (in wrapper) from the packaging and put the others back in the refrigerator. Keep the syringe in its wrapper until you are ready to prepare your dose. Handle the syringes gently and be careful not to shake them. If you do shake a syringe and the solution looks foamy, do not use that syringe. Put the syringe on the flat work surface for about 30 minutes to allow it to reach room temperature. Cover the syringe to protect the liquid from light. Set out the following supplies for your injection: alcohol wipe, cotton ball, and puncture-proof needle disposal container. Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Look at the prefilled syringe to check the expiration date and strength and to make sure the grey needle cover is on and the clear yellow plastic needle guard is covering the barrel of the syringe. If the expiration date has passed, the strength is not what your doctor prescribed, or the needle is not covered, do not use the syringe and call your pharmacist. Look at the syringe to make sure the liquid is clear and colorless. Do not use the syringe if the liquid appears foamy, discolored, or cloudy, or contains lumps, flakes, or particles. Do not slide the needle guard over the needle cover before injecting the medication. Choose a spot where you will inject darbepoetin, and clean it with an alcohol swab. Hold the syringe with the needle pointing up and carefully pull the needle cover straight off. Keep the syringe with the needle pointing up and slowly push the plunger to the line on the syringe that is equal to the dose your doctor has prescribed. Check the syringe for air bubbles. If there are air bubbles, gently tap the syringe with your fingers until the air bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Slowly push the plunger up to force the air bubbles out of the syringe. Be careful not to let the needle touch anything. Check again to make sure you have the correct dose in the syringe. Follow the steps below to inject darbepoetin subcutaneously or intravenously. To prepare a dose using a vial of darbepoetin, follow these steps: Find a clean, flat work surface such as a table. Remove a vial of darbepoetin from the refrigerator, and put it on the flat work surface for about 30 minutes to allow it to reach room temperature. Cover the vial to protect it from light. Do not shake the vial. If you do shake a vial and the solution looks foamy, do not use that vial. Look at the vial of darbepoetin to check the expiration date and strength. If the expiration date has passed, or the strength is not what your doctor prescribed, do not use the vial and call your pharmacist. Look at the vial to make sure the liquid is clear and colorless. Do not use the vial if the liquid appears foamy, discolored, or cloudy, contains lumps, flakes, or particles. Set out the following supplies for your injection: alcohol wipes, cotton ball, disposable syringe, and puncture-proof needle disposal container. Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Take the color cap off the vial and clean the rubber stopper with one alcohol wipe. Check the package of the disposable syringe to make sure it has not been opened or damaged. If the package has been opened or damaged, do not use that syringe, and throw it away in the puncture-proof container. If the syringe package is undamaged, open the package and remove the syringe. Pull the needle cover straight off the syringe. Then, pull back on the plunger to the line on the syringe barrel that is equal to the dose of darbepoetin your doctor has prescribed. Keep the vial on the flat work surface and insert the needle straight down through the rubber stopper. Push the plunger of the syringe down to inject the air from the syringe into the vial. Keep the needle inside the vial and turn the vial upside down. Make sure that the tip of the needle is in the darbepoetin liquid. Use one hand to hold the vial upside down. Use your other hand to slowly pull back on the plunger until the top of the plunger is even with the number that matches the dose your doctor told you to inject. Keep the vial upside down with the needle in the vial. Check for air bubbles in the syringe. If there are air bubbles, gently tap the syringe with your fingers until the air bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Then slowly push the plunger up to force the air bubbles out of the syringe. Keep the tip of the needle in the liquid and once again pull the plunger back to the number on the syringe that matches your dose. Check the syringe again for air bubbles. If there are still air bubbles, repeat the steps above to remove them. Check to make sure the top of the plunger is even with the number that matches your dose. Lay the vial on its side on the flat work surface with the needle still in it to keep the needle from touching anything while you prepare a spot for injection. Choose the spot where you will inject darbepoetin, and clean it with an alcohol swab. Check again to make sure you have the correct dose in the syringe. Pull the needle straight out of the vial rubber stopper. To inject darbepoetin subcutaneously, follow the steps above to prepare your dose from a prefilled syringe or vial of darbepoetin, but use the following steps for injecting your dose: If you are using a disposable syringe hold it by the barrel in one hand. If you are using a prefilled syringe, hold the barrel through the needle guard window. Use the other hand to pinch up a fold of skin at the cleaned injection site. Hold the syringe barrel like a pencil and use a quick, "dart-like" motion to insert the needle either straight up and down (90 degree angle) or at a slight angle (45 degrees) into the skin. After the needle is inserted, let go of the skin. Pull the plunger back slightly. If no blood appears, slowly push the plunger all the way down until your dose of darbepoetin is injected. If blood comes into the syringe, do not inject darbepoetin. Pull the syringe straight out and throw it away in the puncture-proof container. Put a cotton ball over the injection site and press for a few seconds to stop any bleeding. Repeat the steps to choose and clean a new spot for injection and prepare a new dose. Remember to check again for blood before injecting darbepoetin. When your dose has been injected, pull the needle out of the skin, put a cotton ball over the injection site, and press for several seconds. Do not put the needle cover back on the needle. Keep your hands behind the needle at all times. If you are using a prefilled syringe, you can use the needle guard by holding the finger grip of the syringe with one hand, grasping the needle guard with your free hand, and sliding it completely over the needle until the needle guard clicks into place. If you do not hear a click, the needle guard may not be completely activated. Throw away the entire syringe in a puncture-proof container. If you are being treated with hemodialysis and your doctor has told you to inject darbepoetin into your hemodialysis tubing, follow the steps above to prepare your dose from a prefilled syringe or vial of darbepoetin, but use the following steps for injecting your dose intravenously: Clean the venous port of your hemodialysis tubing with a new alcohol swab. Insert the needle of the syringe containing your prepared dose into the cleaned venous port and push the plunger all the way down to inject all the darbepoetin. Remove the syringe from the venous port. Throw away the syringe in a puncture-proof container. Brand names: - Aranesp - Darbepoetin alfa |