Speaker 1:
KRYSTEXXA is a prescription medicine for adults who have tried other gout medicines and still have high uric acid and gout symptoms. KRYSTEXXA is not recommended if you have high levels of uric acid without a history of gout. Serious allergic reactions may happen in some patients who receive KRYSTEXXA. These allergic reactions can be life threatening and usually happen within two hours of the infusion. Please listen to the important safety information in this video.
Jennifer:
I first got gout about three or four years ago, and it just got worse and worse and worse. It got to the point where I was getting gout every three weeks before I made it to a rheumatologist. Gout flares are intense, just bone crushing pain. I was basically at my wit's end. None of the medications that I was using were working for me.
Jennifer:
My doctor told me about KRYSTEXXA, or pegloticase. He explained that KRYSTEXXA would work differently from the other medications that I was on. It was an infusion treatment that he thought could help my gout flares. And at the very end of my appointment, he walked me back to the infusion room to see this is not a huge, scary place, that it would go in and could get rid of all the uric acid buildup I had over the years. Dr. Christopher Parker: Uric acid is not an abnormal thing in somebody's body. Everybody has uric acid. But in some people we have a hard time getting rid of it all out of our body and it can just build up. KRYSTEXXA is a enzyme that's going to break that down and quickly. Within a matter of a day, their uric acid level will come down and every time they get their infusion, I am checking that uric acid level and I'm wanting to see that that uric acid level is always in what I call the sweet spot, really less than six.
Jennifer:
My doctor warned me that starting KRYSTEXXA might cause gout flares because it takes your uric acid from a high number, nine or 10, typically down to zero overnight, or within six hours of treatment. So you can experience a gout flare from that drastic change in uric acid. He also warned me that you could get an allergic reaction during treatment. So I went into a little bit nervous, honestly.
Jennifer:
When I first arrived, they bring you back to the infusion room. A nurse brings you back. And then they get you set up in the chair. Jasmine Kershaw:
Most of the time, if it's the first infusion, they're nervous. So we will sit down in the infusion room and even though the doctor has explained what the medication is and what it treats, we still go over that again, just to reassure the patient.
Jasmine Kershaw:
We also go over how long or how often they will need to come. The typical infusion is every two weeks, and it can vary between six to eight months for the length of time.
Jennifer:
When you think about six months compared to how long you had had gout before, that is what you have to do to get through it.
Dr. Christopher Parker:
KRYSTEXXA definitely is a tool in my toolbox for patients that need it that I wouldn't want to be without. The most rewarding part of my job is the patient stories. For sure.
Jennifer:
KRYSTEXXA really made a difference for me. It brought my uric acid levels down to normal, and I'm able to do things that I love doing, like getting my life back pretty much.
Speaker 1:
Indication and important safety information. Use. KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase) is a prescription medicine used in adults to help reduce the signs and symptoms of gout that are not controlled by other treatments.
Speaker 1:
Important safety information. What is the most important information I should know about KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase)? Serious allergic reactions may happen in some patients who receive KRYSTEXXA. These allergic reactions can be life threatening and usually happen within two hours of the infusion.
Speaker 1:
KRYSTEXXA should be given to you by a doctor or nurse in a healthcare setting where serious allergic reactions can be treated. Your doctor or nurse should watch you for any signs of a serious allergic reaction during and after your treatment with KRYSTEXXA.
Speaker 1:
Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms during or after your treatment with KRYSTEXXA. Wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, chest pain or trouble breathing, dizziness, fainting, fast or weak heartbeat, or feeling nervous, reddening of the face, itching, hives, rash, or feeling warm, swelling of the throat or tongue, throat tightness, hoarse voice, or trouble swallowing. Speaker 1: Who should not receive KRYSTEXXA? Do not receive KRYSTEXXA. If you have a rare blood problem called glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PD deficiency, or faveism. Your doctor should test you for G6PD before you start KRYSTEXXA. KRYSTEXXA is not recommended if you have high levels of uric acid without a history of gout. Before you receive KRYSTEXXA, tell your doctor if you know you have G6PD deficiency, ever had any heart problems or high blood pressure, are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it is not known if KRYSTEXXA will harm your unborn baby, are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, it is not known if KRYSTEXXA passes into your breast milk.
Speaker 1:
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. Do not take any other uric acid lowering drug, such as allopurinol or febuxostat (Uloric®) while taking KRYSTEXXA. Prior to your treatment with KRYSTEXXA, your doctor may give you medicine to help reduce your chance of getting a reaction. Take these medicines as directed by your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will also test your uric acid levels prior to each treatment to monitor your response to KRYSTEXXA.
Speaker 1:
What are the possible side effects of KRYSTEXXA? Please review important information section above. The most common side effects in patients taking KRYSTEXXA were gout flare ups or attacks, allergic reactions, nausea, bruising, sore throat, constipation, chest pain, and vomiting. This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Tell your doctor or treatment team if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Speaker 1:
Please see the medication guide and prescribing information for more information. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch, or call the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.