Follitropin beta (subcutaneous route)
Available brands
Follistim, Follistim AQ, Gonal-f RFF
About this medication
Follitropin beta injection is used to treat infertility in both men and women. This medicine is a man-made hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH is produced in the body by the pituitary gland. FSH helps to develop eggs in the ovaries of women and sperm in the testes of men. Follitropin beta replaces natural FSH in the body. Follitropin beta injection is used as a fertility medicine to develop eggs in women who have not been able to become pregnant because of problems with ovulation. Also, many women wanting to become pregnant will use this medicine while enrolled in a fertility program called Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). ART uses procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or embryo transfer (ET). Follitropin beta is used together with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in these procedures. Follistim® AQ Cartridgeis also used in women with healthy ovaries who are undergoing reproductive procedures such as IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle. This medicine is used together with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in these procedures. Follitropin beta is also used as a fertility medicine to help men with low sperm counts produce more sperms. Treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin should come before treatment with follitropin beta. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Before using this medication
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered: Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of follitropin beta injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established. Appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of follitropin beta injection have not been performed in the geriatric population. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding. Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
How to use this medication
A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. This medicine is given as a shot under the skin (for men and women), usually in the stomach or thigh, or into a muscle (for women only). Follitropin beta is used with another hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). At the proper time, your doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. This medicine comes with patient information leaflet and patient instructions. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. This medicine is available in two forms: a cartridge and a vial. Ask your doctor which dosage form is right for you. You might be taught how to give your medicine at home. If you are using this medicine at home: If you are using theFollistim® AQ cartridge: The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. Call your doctor or pharmacist for instructions. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. You may storeFollistim® AQ cartridge or injectionin a refrigerator or at room temperature for 3 months or until expiration date. If theFollistim® AQ cartridgehas been pierced by a needle, you may store it up to 28 days. Keep thecartridgeaway from light. Throw away used needles and syringes in a hard, closed container that the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets. Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse about the best way to dispose of any leftover medicine, glass containers (vials), cartridges, and other supplies. You should not use any leftover medicine in the glass container (vial) or cartridge.
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