Arikayce

Generic name: Amikacin Liposome
Drug class: Aminoglycosides

Usage of Arikayce

Arikayce (amikacin liposome) is a prescription antibiotic medicine that is used for difficult-to-treat Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease in adults who have few or no other treatment options. Arikayce is a suspension inhaled into the lungs using the Lamira Nebulizer System. Arikayce is a once-daily treatment that should be used in combination antibacterial drug regimen.

Arikayce side effects

Also see Warnings section above.

Arikayce can cause a serious allergic reaction that may lead to death. Stop using this medicine and get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction:

wheezing, noisy breathing, cough, feeling short of breath;

itching, hives, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat;

fast heart rate, feeling light-headed;

loss of bladder or bowel control;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps;

flushing (sudden warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

Arikayce can cause other serious side effects:

Call your doctor at once if you have:

ringing in your ears, changes in hearing;

cough (especially during the first month of using Arikayce);

trouble speaking;

dizziness, spinning sensation;

a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

breathing problems--chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood; or

kidney problems--little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, feeling tired or short of breath.

Common side effects of Arikayce may include:

fever, cough, increased mucus, sore throat;

hoarse voice;

headache, muscle pain, chest discomfort;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;

rash;

weight loss; or

feeling tired.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Arikayce

You should not use Arikayce if you are allergic to amikacin or similar antibiotics (gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, paromomycin, streptomycin, or tobramycin).

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), wheezing, or other breathing or lung function problems;

have or have had hearing issues (including noises in your ears such as ringing or hissing), hearing loss, or your mother has had hearing problems after taking an aminoglycoside.

vertigo (dizziness or a spinning sensation);

kidney disease; or

a nerve-muscle disorder, such as myasthenia gravis.

Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Taking amikacin in oral form during pregnancy may cause the baby to be born deaf. The deafness affects both ears and cannot be changed. It is not known whether amikacin as an inhaled medicine will harm an unborn baby.

Breastfeeding

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It may not be safe to breastfeed while using Arikayce. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while being treated with this medicine

Relate drugs

How to use Arikayce

Usual Adult Dose for Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare:

590 mg inhaled via Lamira nebulizer once a day

Comments:

Patients that are using bronchodilators should use their bronchodilator before using this drug.

Pretreatment with short-acting beta-2 agonists should be considered in patients with specific patient populations (e.g., asthma, bronchospasm, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperactive airway disease).

Use: Patients who have limited or no alternative treatment options for the treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease as part of a combination antibacterial drug regimen in patients who do not achieve negative sputum cultures after a minimum of 6 consecutive months of a multidrug background regimen therapy

Warnings

Arikayce can cause serious side effects. Call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have any of these serious side effects or symptoms while taking this medicine. These side effects may become serious enough that treatment in a hospital is needed.

Life-threatening allergic reactions. Stop using this medicine and get emergency medical help if you have symptoms such as a cough, trouble breathing, itching or hives, vomiting, diarrhea, fast heartbeats, feeling light-headed, or swelling in your face or throat.

Allergic inflammation of the lungs: Symptoms of allergic inflammation of the lungs are fever, coughing, fast breathing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Coughing up of blood (hemoptysis): Coughing up blood is a serious and common side effect of this medicine.

Severe breathing problems: Severe breathing problems can be symptoms of bronchospasm which is a serious and common side effect of this medicine. Bronchospasm symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, difficult or labored breathing, coughing, or chest tightness.

Worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): This is a serious and common side effect of Arikayce.

See below Side Effect section for more side effect information.

What other drugs will affect Arikayce

Amikacin can harm your kidneys, especially if you also use certain medicines for infections, cancer, osteoporosis, organ transplant rejection, bowel disorders, high blood pressure, or pain or arthritis (including Advil, Motrin, and Aleve).

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect Arikayce, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here. To check for interactions with Arikayce click the Arikayce drug interaction link below.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.