Campath
Campath (alemtuzumab) is a prescription medication used to treat a type of blood cancer called B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). It’s given as an intravenous (IV) infusion by a healthcare professional under close medical supervision due to the risk of serious side effects. Common side effects include low blood cell counts, nausea, diarrhea, and infections.
What is Campath (alemtuzumab)?
What is Campath (alemtuzumab) used for?
How Campath (alemtuzumab) works
Campath (alemtuzumab) is an anti-CD52 antibody, which means it targets a protein called CD52 found on certain blood cells, including the cancer cells in CLL.
When the medication attaches to CD52, it signals your immune system to attack and destroy those cancer cells. This helps slow things down because the cancer can’t grow or spread as easily.
Drug facts
Side effects of Campath (alemtuzumab)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Low white blood cells (up to 97%)
- Low red blood cells (76%)
- Infection (74%)
- Low platelet count (71%)
- Fever (69%)
- Viral infection (up to 55%)
- Chills (53%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Rash
- Hives
- Headache
- Tremor
- Diarrhea
- Trouble sleeping
- Anxiety
- Fast heart rate
Campath (alemtuzumab) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Infections: fever, chills, cough, trouble breathing, muscle aches, tiredness
- Bleeding: easy bruising, nosebleeds, small red or purple spots on your skin, pale skin, weakness, tiredness
- Infusion reactions: fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, swelling, rash, low blood pressure, trouble breathing
The following Campath (alemtuzumab) side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
Black, tarry stools
blood in the urine
chills
dizziness, fainting, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
fast heartbeat
headache
painful or difficult urination
pale skin
sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
sweating
swollen glands
tightness in the chest
trouble breathing
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
vomiting
Less common
Bloating or swelling of the face, hands, lower legs, or feet
hoarseness
lower back or side pain
muscle weakness
painful cold sores or blisters on the lips, nose, eyes, or genitals
pounding or irregular heartbeat or pulse
rapid weight gain
red or purple spots on the skin, varying in size and remaining after pushing the skin surface
unexplained nosebleeds
Rare
Bloody nose
flushing of the face or neck
swelling of the eyelids, face, or lips
white patches on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the folds of the skin, including the genitals
Incidence not known
back pain
blindness
blurred or double vision
chest pain or discomfort
confusion
dark urine
decreased urine output
decreased vision
difficulty in speaking
dilated neck veins
discouragement
double vision
drowsiness
extreme tiredness or weakness
feeling of discomfort
feeling sad or empty
general feeling of tiredness and weakness
inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles
inability to speak
irregular breathing
irritability
joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
lack of appetite
light-colored stools
loss of interest or pleasure
muscle aches or pain
nightmares or unusually vivid dreams
numbness, pain, tingling, or weakness
pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
painful or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin
seizures
shakiness and unsteady walk
slow speech
spitting or coughing up blood
sudden numbness and weakness in the arms and legs
swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
trouble concentrating
trouble sleeping
unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
upper right abdominal or stomach pain and fullness
yellow eyes and skin
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Fear or nervousness
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Pros and cons of Campath (alemtuzumab)
Pros
- Targets cancer cells directly
- Can work when other treatments don’t
- Has been used for many years
Cons
- Infused every day or three times a week
- Risk of serious infections and infusion-related reactions
- Only available through a special program
Pharmacist tips for Campath (alemtuzumab)
- You’ll get Campath (alemtuzumab) several times a week, and each infusion takes about 2 hours. It can be hard to keep track of all your treatments, so ask your oncologist about using a treatment calendar or try setting reminders on your phone.
- You’ll usually need to take premedications like acetaminophen and diphenhydramine before each dose of Campath (alemtuzumab) to prevent infusion reactions. Tell your care team right away if you notice symptoms of a reaction, such as rash, fever, vomiting, chills, or trouble breathing.
- If you stop Campath (alemtuzumab) for more than 7 days, you’ll need to restart the step-by-step dose increase when you begin treatment again. This helps lower the chance of infusion reactions.
- To help protect you from infections, your oncologist will prescribe antibiotics like sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and antivirals like acyclovir. You’ll need to keep taking these medicines for at least a couple months after treatment ends.
- Tell your care team if you notice bleeding, easy bruising, small red or purple spots on your skin, pale skin, weakness, or tiredness during treatment with Campath (alemtuzumab). These can be signs of low blood cell counts.
- Avoid live vaccines while receiving Campath (alemtuzumab) because your immune system might not react normally.
- Tell your oncologist if you notice symptoms of kidney problems. These can appear months or even years after taking Campath (alemtuzumab). Signs include swelling, foamy urine, or changes in how much you urinate.
- Getting Campath (alemtuzumab) might affect your ability to have children in the future. Talk to your oncologist if you want to have a baby someday.
- Campath (alemtuzumab) might harm an unborn baby, so you’ll need a pregnancy test before starting the medication. You should also use birth control during treatment and for 3 months after your last dose.
- We don’t know if Campath (alemtuzumab) passes into breast milk, so you shouldn’t breastfeed during treatment or for 3 months after your last dose.
Common questions about Campath (alemtuzumab)
No, Campath (alemtuzumab) isn’t chemotherapy. Chemotherapy attacks all fast-growing cells in the body, even healthy ones. Campath (alemtuzumab) works differently because it’s a targeted therapy. It attaches to a specific protein called CD52 on the outside of B-CLL cells. This helps it focus more directly on the cancer cells instead of affecting many types of cells at once.
Yes, Campath (alemtuzumab) is available in the United States, but only through a special program called the U.S. Campath Distribution Program. Your prescriber must be enrolled in this program, and the medication isn’t available through regular pharmacies.
Campath and Lemtrada both contain the same active ingredient, alemtuzumab, but they’re used for different conditions and given in different ways. Campath is used for a blood cancer called B-CLL, whereas Lemtrada is approved to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). They also have different dosing schedules, infusion routines, and monitoring requirements. Talk to your prescriber if you have questions about comparing these two medications.
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Risks and warnings for Campath (alemtuzumab)
Campath (alemtuzumab) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Low blood cell counts
People taking Campath (alemtuzumab) often have low blood cell counts. This means your body might have low levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. When your white blood cells are low, you’re at higher risk for getting sick. When your red blood cells are low, you might feel more tired than usual. And if your platelets are low, you have a higher chance of bleeding easily.
You will need weekly blood tests during treatment, or even more often if your counts drop too low. Contact your care team right away if you have any symptoms of low blood cell counts such as a fever, chills, feeling very tired, bruising, or bleeding.
Infusion reactions
Some people taking Campath (alemtuzumab) have experienced infusion reactions. Most of the time, these reactions happen in the first week of treatment. That’s why your dose is increased slowly at the beginning. You’ll also receive medications like acetaminophen and diphenhydramine before each dose to prevent reactions. If you stop treatment for 7 days or more, you’ll need to restart with the gradual dose increase.
Tell your care team right away if you notice symptoms of an infusion reaction, such as fever, nausea, vomiting, swelling, rash, chills, or trouble breathing.
Infections
Campath (alemtuzumab) can lower certain blood cells in your body called lymphocytes. This helps treat your cancer but also raises your risk for serious infections. To help protect you, you’ll need to take medications that prevent certain infections during treatment and for at least a couple of months after your last dose.
Let your care team right away if you have symptoms of being sick, such as a fever, muscle aches, severe tiredness, cough, or trouble breathing.
Vaccines
We don’t know if live vaccines are safe to receive while taking Campath (alemtuzumab). You should avoid live vaccines during treatment. Talk to your oncologist before getting any vaccines while you’re taking this medication.
Campath (alemtuzumab) dosage
Typical dosage for Campath (alemtuzumab)
Campath (alemtuzumab) is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion by a healthcare professional. Your dose will be raised slowly until you reach the maximum dose of 30 mg. Most people reach the 30 mg dose within 3 to 7 days, and the full treatment lasts 12 weeks.
Below is a typical schedule:
- The typical starting dose is 3 mg each day until any infusion-related reactions become mild.
- Then your dose will increase to 10 mg each day until those reactions are mild again.
- After that, the typical maintenance dose is 30 mg three times a week on alternate days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
Interactions between Campath (alemtuzumab) and other drugs
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. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Measles Virus Vaccine, Live
- Mumps Virus Vaccine, Live
- Rotavirus Vaccine, Live
- Rubella Virus Vaccine, Live
- Varicella Virus Vaccine, Live
- Zoster Vaccine, Live
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Adenovirus Vaccine
- Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin Vaccine, Live
- Cholera Vaccine, Live
- Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine, Live
- Influenza Virus Vaccine, Live
- Ozanimod
- Poliovirus Vaccine, Live
- Ponesimod
- Siponimod
- Smallpox Vaccine
- Tofacitinib
- Typhoid Vaccine, Live
- Yellow Fever Vaccine
