Those with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (a skin condition in which red, scaly patches appear on various portions of the body) whose psoriasis is too severe to be treated by topical treatments alone can receive treatment with secukinumab injection. Adults with psoriatic arthritis may also use it for treatment (a condition that causes joint pain and swelling and scales on the skin). Ankylosing spondylitis is treated in adults with secukinumab injection (a condition in which the body attacks the joints of the spine and other areas, causing pain, swelling, and joint damage). Adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis may also receive treatment with it (a condition in which the body attacks the joints of the spine and other areas, causing pain and signs of swelling, but without changes seen on x-ray). Children 4 years of age and older who have arthritis associated to enthesitis can also be treated with secukinumab. Monoclonal antibodies are a class of drugs that includes secukinumab injection. It functions by preventing specific bodily cells from acting in a way that results in the psoriasis symptoms.

Secukinumab injection can be administered subcutaneously using a prefilled syringe, a dosing pen, or a powder that must be dissolved in liquid (under the skin). For the first five doses, it is typically injected once every week, and subsequently once every four weeks. It can also be injected once every four weeks for axial spondyloarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Administer secukinumab injection as prescribed. Never inject more, less, or more frequently than your doctor has instructed.

Your doctor’s office may be where you get your first subcutaneous injection of secukinumab. After that, your doctor might let you administer secukinumab yourself or through a friend or family member. Read the manufacturer’s information for the patient included with the drug before administering secukinumab injection for the first time to yourself. To learn how to inject a medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist to demonstrate it to you or the person doing the injecting.

Each dosage pen or syringe should only be used once to inject the entire solution within. Put used pens and syringes in a container that won’t puncture. How to get rid of the puncture-resistant container should be discussed with your doctor or pharmacist.

If you’re using a prefilled syringe or a dosing pen that has been chilled, set it down on a flat surface without removing the needle cap and let it thaw to room temperature for 15–30 minutes prior to when you’re ready to inject the drug. Never attempt to reheat the drug by putting it in a hot water bath, microwave, or any other device. After removing the injection from the refrigerator, use it at least an hour later.

A syringe or dosage pen containing secukinumab shouldn’t be shaken.

When injecting secukinumab solution, always check it out. Verify that the liquid is clear and colourless and that the expiration date has not past. There shouldn’t be any observable particles in the liquid. If a syringe or dosing pen is fractured, damaged, or expired, or if the liquid is hazy or contains noticeable coloured or sized particles, do not use it.

Except for your navel and the region 2 inches (5 centimetres) around it, you can inject secukinumab injection anyplace on the front of your legs (upper leg), upper outside arms, or abdomen (stomach). Choose a different place for each injection to lessen the possibility of discomfort or redness. Never administer an injection to skin that is irritated, bruised, red, or firm, or that has scars or stretch marks.

When you start receiving therapy with secukinumab injection, your doctor or pharmacist will provide you the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet (Medication Guide). If you have any questions, carefully read the material and contact your doctor or pharmacist.

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

Before using secukinumab injection,

• If you have any allergies, including to latex, any of the substances in secukinumab injection, inform your doctor and pharmacist right away. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist. Tell your doctor if you or the person injecting the drug for you has a latex or rubber allergy if you plan to use a prefilled syringe or dosing pen.
• While using secukinumab, be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know what prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbal items, and nutritional supplements you are currently 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.
• Inform your doctor of any other medical disorders you may have, including Crohn’s disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract, resulting in pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, and fever).
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while receiving secukinumab injection.
• Find out from your doctor if you require any vaccinations. Before starting your secukinumab injectable treatment, it’s crucial to have had all the vaccinations recommended for your age. Without consulting your doctor, avoid getting any immunisations while you are receiving therapy.
• You should be aware that secukinumab injection may impair your resistance to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and raise your chance of contracting a serious or fatal infection. Inform your doctor if you frequently contract any kind of infection, currently possess one, or suspect one. This includes transient infections (like herpes or cold sores), chronic illnesses that persist over time, and mild infections (like open cuts or sores). Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms while receiving your secukinumab injectable treatment or soon after: Fever, sweats or chills, body aches, shortness of breath, warm, red, or painful skin, stomach pain, frequent, urgent, or painful urination, or other infection-related symptoms.
• You should be aware that receiving secukinumab injection raises your risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB; a dangerous lung infection), particularly if you have the disease but are asymptomatic. If you have TB now or formerly had it, have lived in a nation where TB is widespread, or have been near someone with TB, let your doctor know. To determine whether you have a dormant TB infection, your doctor will conduct a skin test. Before you begin taking secukinumab injection, your doctor may prescribe medicine to treat this infection if necessary. Call your doctor right once if you experience any of the following TB symptoms, or if any of them appear while you are receiving treatment: a cough, coughing up blood or mucus, weakness or exhaustion, weight loss, appetite loss, chills, fever, or night sweats.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you forget to take your secukinumab injection, call your doctor to find out what to do. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Side effects from secukinumab injection are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Congested, runny, and sneezing
• Unwell throat
• Itching

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms or any of the ones detailed in the SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS section:

• Rash
• Hives
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Feeling dizzy
• Swelling of the throat, lips, tongue, eyes, and/or face
• Chest constriction
• Hoarseness

Further negative effects from secukinumab injection are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, 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. Secukinumab injection should not be frozen; instead, store it in the refrigerator. To protect them from light, keep the vials, prefilled syringe, and dosage pens in their original boxes.

Although 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 Medications 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. Moreover, 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 doctor’s appointments.

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

If you have any inquiries about secukinumab injection, ask 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.