In order to lower blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad cholesterol,” in adults with familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia (a condition in which cholesterol cannot be naturally removed from the body), alirocumab injection is used in conjunction with diet, either alone or in combination with other cholesterol-lowering medications (statins or ezetimibe, sold under the brand names Zetia, Liptruzet, and Vytorin) To reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and severe or life-threatening chest discomfort in individuals with cardiovascular disease. Adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH; a genetic disorder in which cholesterol cannot be eliminated from the body naturally) may also receive alirocumab injection in combination with other drugs to lower LDL cholesterol. Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor monoclonal antibodies are a family of medicines that includes alirocumab injection. It functions by preventing the body from producing LDL cholesterol, which lowers the potential quantity of cholesterol that could build up on artery walls.

Your heart, brain, and other organs of your body receive less oxygen as a result of the buildup of cholesterol along the artery walls (a condition known as atherosclerosis).

Alirocumab injection is available as a solution (liquid) in a prefilled syringe and a prefilled dosage pen to inject once every two or four weeks subcutaneously (just beneath the skin). Every two or four weeks, administer alirocumab injection at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the alirocumab injection instructions precisely. Never use this drug in larger or less amounts, or for longer than your doctor has directed.

Depending on how you respond to the drug, your doctor might increase your dose after 4 to 8 weeks of treatment.

Although it does not treat these problems, alirocumab injection helps to manage cholesterol levels. Even if you feel good, keep using alirocumab injectable. Without consulting your doctor, never discontinue using alirocumab injectable.

Prefilled syringes and dosing pens for alirocumab injection are available; each one has enough medicine inside for one dose. Use the pens or syringes into the several injection sites one after the other if your doctor instructs you to use more than one pen or syringe to administer your dose. Up to 20 seconds may pass before the drug is injected. Never combine alirocumab with any other medications; always administer it in its own prefilled dosage pen or syringe. Never reuse a prefilled pen or syringe; instead, dispose of spent needles, syringes, and equipment in a puncture-resistant container. How to get rid of the puncture-resistant container should be discussed with your doctor or pharmacist.

With the exception of the 2-inch region around your navel (belly button) and close to your waistline, you can inject alirocumab injection in your thigh, upper arms, or stomach area. For each injection, choose a different location. Avoid injecting into areas with visible veins, scars, rashes, stretch marks, or skin that is sore, red, bruised, swollen, sunburned, hard, heated, infected, or otherwise wounded.

Read the medication’s manufacturer’s directions for use very carefully. These directions explain how to administer an alirocumab injectable dose. If you have any concerns regarding how to inject this drug, be sure to consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Before using, take the prefilled syringe or prefilled dosage pen out of the fridge and give it 30 to 40 minutes to warm up to room temperature. Once the prefilled syringe or prefilled dosage pen has warmed to room temperature, do not put it back in the refrigerator.

Examine the contents of the prefilled syringe or pen in detail before using the alirocumab injection. The drug must be clear to light yellow and free of floating objects. The prefilled syringe or prefilled dosage pen containing alirocumab injection should not be shaken.

Request a copy of the patient’s information from the manufacturer from your pharmacist or physician.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before using alirocumab injection,

• If you have an allergy to alirocumab injection, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in alirocumab injection, tell your doctor and pharmacist right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you have or have previously had any medical issues, let your doctor know.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you get pregnant while taking alirocumab injectable.

Consume a diet low in fat and cholesterol. Make sure to abide by all dietary and exercise advice given to you by your physician or nutritionist. For more dietary advice, you can also refer to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) website at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/chol tlc.pdf.

The injection of alirocumab may have unwanted effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• At the injection site, there may be redness, itching, swelling, discomfort, or soreness.
• Chills, fever, headache, and flu-like symptoms

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Stop using alirocumab injection and seek emergency medical attention if you suffer any of the following symptoms:

• Itching
• Rash
• Hives
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Face, throat, tongue, lips, and eye swelling

Other negative effects from alirocumab injection are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this drug, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Do not freeze it; instead, keep it in the refrigerator. The original carton of alirocumab injectable may also be kept at room temperature for up to 30 days, up to 77° F (25° C). Alirocumab must be thrown after 30 days. Alirocumab injection should be kept in its original box and shielded from light.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor how your body reacts to the alirocumab injection, your doctor will request a few lab tests.

Do not share your medication with anybody else. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.