Rasuvo

Rasuvo is part of the drug class:

• Other immunosuppressants

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Azathioprine
• Sulfasalazine
• Theophylline
• Folic acid
• Mercaptopurine
• Phenylbutazone
• Phenytoin
• Hydroxychloroquine
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you are unsure if you are taking any of these medications, consult with your pharmacist.
• Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and H2 Blockers. If you are unsure if you are taking any of these medications, consult with your pharmacist.
• Oral Antibiotics. If you are unsure if you are taking any of these medications, consult with your pharmacist.
• Live vaccines. If you are unsure if you have received any live vaccines, consult with your pharmacist.
• Retinoid medications. If you are unsure if you are taking any of these medications, consult with your pharmacist.
• Antifolate medications. If you are unsure if you are taking any of these medications, consult with your pharmacist.

This is not a complete list of Rasuvo drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Rasuvo falls into category X. It has been shown that women taking Rasuvo during pregnancy may have babies born with problems. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Take Rasuvo exactly as prescribed.

Rasuvo comes in an injectable form to be given directly under the skin, typically once per week.

• Rasuvo should be injected under the skin of the abdomen or thigh.
• Do not inject Rasuvo within 2 inches of the belly button (navel)
• Use a different site each time you inject. This may help to decrease any reactions at the injection site.
• Do not inject Rasuvo in the arms or any other areas of the body.
• Do not inject Rasuvo in areas where the skin is tender, bruised, red, scaly, hard, or has scars or stretch marks.

Do not take Rasuvo every day. Taking Rasuvo every day may cause death from toxicity.

Check Rasuvo before you inject it. Rasuvo should be yellow to brown in color and should not have any lumps or particles in it.

If you are not sure if Rasuvo was injected, or if you have hard time giving the injection, do not inject another dose. Call your pharmacist or doctor right away. 

You may be shown how to use Rasuvo injections at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not understand how to give the injection and properly dispose items used to inject the medicine.

For additional information on proper administration of Rasuvo, you may refer to the following section.

Preparing to Use Rasuvo

1. Wash your hands well with soap and warm water
2. Select a clean, well-lit, flat work surface, such as a table
3. Place the Rasuvo carton containing the auto-injector on your flat work surface. Be sure that the dose, either 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5 or 30 mg, stated on the carton is the same as the dose prescribed by your doctor
4. Check the expiration date on the label. Do not use if expired
5. Remove one Rasuvo auto-injector from the packaging. If the Rasuvo appears to be damaged do not use it. Use another Rasuvo. In addition to Rasuvo, you will need the following items: one alcohol swab and one cotton ball or gauze and small adhesive bandage strip, if desired
6. Look at the transparent control zone. The prefilled syringe is visible within the transparent control zone. Examine the contents of the syringe carefully. If the syringe is cracked or broken, do not use it. Use another auto-injector. The liquid should be clear and yellow to brown in color and should not have any lumps or particles in it. Do not use Rasuvo if the liquid is cloudy, discolored or contains particles. You may see an air bubble. This is normal. If you are not able to see or to check the Rasuvo auto-injector correctly prior to injection, ask a caretaker for assistance. Do not remove the yellow cap from the auto-injector until you are ready to use Rasuvo

Choosing an Injection Site

1. Wipe the area with an alcohol swab
2. Allow the skin to dry and do not touch this area again before giving Rasuvo. Do not fan or blow on the clean area. 
3. Rasuvo should be injected into the stomach (abdomen) or the upper thigh.
4. Use a different site each time you inject. This may help to decrease any reactions at the injection site

Giving your Injection

1. Hold the Rasuvo auto-injector with one hand in the handling area
2. Use your other hand to pull the yellow cap straight off. Do not twist the cap. If you are unable to remove the cap, ask a caretaker for assistance. You may notice 1 or 2 drops of medicine. This is normal.
3. Do not touch the needle end with your hands or fingers. This could inject the medicine into your hand. To avoid any injury, never insert your fingers in the opening of the protect tube covering the needle. Do not replace the cap after it has been removed. After the cap is removed Rasuvo must be used without delay or disposed of safely. Do not press the yellow injection button until you are ready to inject Rasuvo.
4. Pinch a pad of skin surrounding the cleaned injection site with your thumb and forefinger of your free hand by gently squeezing. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are unable to pinch the skin can inject directly into the thigh without pinching if needed.
5. Hold the skin pinched until Rasuvo is removed from the skin after the injection.
6. Position the uncapped transparent end of the Rasuvo auto-injector perpendicular (at a 90 degree angle) to the skin.
7. Without pressing the button, push Rasuvo firmly onto your skin until you feel the stop point in order to unlock the yellow injection button. If you are unable to push Rasuvo to the stop-point, ask a caretaker for assistance.
8. While still holding Rasuvo firmly against the skin, press the yellow injection button with your thumb. You will hear a click which indicates the start of the injection.
9. Hold Rasuvo against the skin until all of the medicine is injected. This can take up to 5 seconds (slowly count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). To avoid an incomplete injection, do not remove the Rasuvo from the skin before the end of the injection.
10. Look at the transparent control zone while you are injecting to make sure that the entire dose is injected. When the movement stops, the injection is completed. If you have problems with your hearing, slowly count to 5 seconds from the moment you have pressed the button. It is not necessary to keep the button of the Rasuvo pressed down with your thumb after the injection has begun.
11. After completing the injection, remove Rasuvo from the injection site by pulling straight up (perpendicular to the skin). The protective needle shield automatically moves into place and locks over the needle.
12. Put a small adhesive bandage strip over the injection site, if desired.

Checking the Transparent Control Zone

1. Check visually to make sure that there is no liquid left in the syringe inside the transparent control zone. If there is liquid left, not all of the medicine has been injected correctly. Consult your doctor or health care professional immediately. Do not use another Rasuvo, unless advised by your doctor.

Disposal of Rasuvo

• Each Rasuvo can be used only 1 time
• Do not throw away in the household trash. Put used Rasuvo in an FDA-cleared sharps disposal container right away after use.
• If you do not have an FDA-cleared sharps disposal container, you may use a household container that is:
  • made of a heavy-duty plastic
  • can be closed with a tight-fitting, puncture-resistant lid, without sharps being able to come out
  • upright and stable during use
  • leak-resistant
  • properly labeled to warn of hazardous waste inside the container
• When your sharps disposal container is almost full, you will need to follow your community guidelines for the right way to dispose of your sharps disposal container. There may be state or local laws about how you should throw away used needles and syringes. For more information about the safe sharps disposal, and for specific information about sharps disposal in the state that you live in, go to the FDA's website at:
  http://www.fda.gov/safesharpsdisposal.
• Do not dispose of your used sharps disposal container in your household trash unless your community guidelines permit this. Do not recycle your used sharps disposal container
• Safely dispose of Rasuvo that is out of date or no longer needed