Interferon gamma-1b (injection route, subcutaneous route)
Available brands
Actimmune
About this medication
Interferon gamma-1b injection is used to lower the frequency and severity of serious infections caused by chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). It is also used to slow down the progression of severe, malignant osteopetrosis (SMO). Interferon gamma-1b is a man-made version of a substance naturally produced by cells in the body to help fight infections and tumors. 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 performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of Actimmune® to treat CGD in children 1 year of age and older, and to treat SMO in children 1 month and older. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children to treat CGD younger than 1 year of age, and in newborns with SMO. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of Actimmune® in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving Actimmune®. 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
This medicine is given as a shot under your skin, usually in the right and left upper arms, or thighs. Each package of interferon gamma-1b contains a patient instruction sheet. Read this sheet carefully and make sure you understand: If you have any questions about any of this, check with your doctor. You will be shown the body areas where this shot can be given. Use a different body area each time you give yourself a shot. Keep track of where you give each shot to make sure you rotate body areas. This will help prevent skin problems from the injections. Use each vial only one time. Do not save an open vial. If the medicine in the vial has changed color, or if you see particles in it, do not use it. Do not shake it. Do not mix it with other medicines in the same syringe. You may have fewer side effects (headache, fever, or muscle aches) if you give yourself the shot just before bedtime. Ask your doctor if you can take acetaminophen to prevent or relieve side effects. Throw away used needles in a hard, closed container that the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets. 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. If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. Store in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Throw away any unopened vials that are left at room temperature for more than 12 hours.
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