Rituxan Hycela (Rituximab/hyaluronidase human) for Lymphoma

Overview
Rituxan Hycela is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Rituxan Hycela may be prescribed alone or in combination with other anti-lymphoma drugs. Rituxan Hycela may be used as part of a chemotherapy regimen or as maintenance therapy after a course of chemotherapy has been completed. Rituxan Hycela is a combination drug composed of rituximab and hyaluronidase human.

Rituxan Hycela is used in immunotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rituximab is a biologic drug – a genetically engineered protein, or antibody – that attacks specific targets. Rituximab is believed to work by targeting the CD20 antigen, a protein located on the surface of white blood cells called B-lymphocytes. Hyaluronidase human is an enzyme that allows Rituximab to be injected subcutaneously instead of infused intravenously.

How do I take it?
Rituxan Hycela is administered as a subcutaneous injection. The frequency of Rituxan Hycela administration depends on how the drug is being used.

Rituxan Hycela comes in the form of a single-dose vial.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Rituxan Hycela lists common side effects including fatigue, fever, cough, nausea, vomiting, constipation, low blood cell counts, increased risk for infections, and injection site reactions.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Rituxan Hycela can include hypersensitivity reactions, life-threatening cardiac events, kidney dysfunction, bowel obstruction or perforation, fetal harm in pregnant women, mucocutaneous reactions, and tumor lysis syndrome (a potentially fatal metabolic condition caused when many cancer cells die at the same time).

Taking Rituxan Hycela increases the risk of developing a fatal brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). This medication also increases the risk for reactivating Hepatitis B, potentially resulting in hepatic injury or failure.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Rituxan Hycela — Genentech
https://www.rituxanhycela.com

Immunotherapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma — American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkin-lymph...