Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor if you are not sure.
If you have never received Icatibant previously, your first dose of this medicine will always be injected by your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will tell you when it is safe for you to go home. After discussion with your doctor or nurse and after training in subcutaneous (under the skin) injection technique, you may be able to inject yourself with Icatibant or your caregiver may inject this medicine for you when you have an HAE attack.
It is important that Icatibant is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) as soon as you notice an attack of angioedema. Your healthcare provider will teach you and your caregiver how to safely inject this medicine by following the instructions in the Package Leaflet.
Icatibant is intended for subcutaneous injection (under the skin). Use each syringe only once.
This medicine is injected with a short needle into the fatty tissue under the skin in the abdomen (tummy). If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
The following step-by step instructions are intended for:
- self-administration (adults)
- administration by a caregiver or healthcare professional to adults, adolescents or children aged over 2 years (weighing at least 12 kg).
The instructions include the following main steps:
1) General information
2a) Preparing the syringe for children and adolescents (2-17 years) weighing 65 kg or less
2b) Preparing the syringe and needle for injection (all patients)
3) Preparing the injection site
4) Injecting the solution
5) Disposal of the injection material
Step-by-Step Instructions for Injection
1) General information
- Clean the work area (surface) to be used before beginning the process.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Remove the pre-filled syringe from the carton.
- Remove the cap from the end of the pre-filled syringe by unscrewing the cap.
- Put down the pre-filled syringe after unscrewing the cap.
2a) Preparing the syringe for children and adolescents (2-17years) weighing 65 kg or less:
Important information for healthcare professionals and caregivers:
Where the dose is less than 30 mg (3 ml), the following equipment is required to extract the appropriate dose (see below):
a) Icatibant pre-filled syringe (containing icatibant solution)
b) Connector (adapter)
c) 3 ml graduated syringe
The required injection volume in ml should be drawn up in an empty 3 ml graduated syringe (see table below).
Table 1: Dosage regimen for children and adolescents
Body Weight Injection Volume
12 kg to 25 kg 1.0 ml
26 kg to 40 kg 1.5 ml
41 kg to 50 kg 2.0 ml
51 kg to 65 kg 2.5 ml
Patients weighing more than 65 kg will use the full contents of the pre-filled syringe (3 ml).
If you are not sure which volume of solution to extract, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse
1) Remove the caps on each end of the connector.
Avoid touching the ends of the connector and syringe tips, to prevent contamination
2) Screw the connector onto the pre-filled syringe.
3) Attach the graduated syringe to the other end of the connector ensuring that both connections fit securely.
Transferring the icatibant solution to the graduated syringe:
1) To start transfer of icatibant solution, push the pre-filled syringe plunger (on far left of below image).
2) If the icatibant solution does not begin to transfer to the graduated syringe, pull slightly on the graduated syringe plunger until the icatibant solution starts to flow into the graduated syringe (see below image).
3) Continue to push on the pre-filled syringe plunger until the required injection volume (dose) is transferred to the graduated syringe. Refer to table 1 for dosage information.
If there is air in the graduated syringe:
- Turn the connected syringes so that the pre-filled syringe is on top (see below image).
- Push the plunger of the graduated syringe so that any air is transferred back into the pre-filled syringe (this step may need to be repeated several times).
- Withdraw the required volume of icatibant solution.
4) Remove the pre-filled syringe and connector from the graduated syringe.
5) Discard the pre-filled syringe and connector into the sharps container.
2b) Preparing the syringe and needle for injection: All patients (adults, adolescents and children)
- Remove the needle cap from the blister.
- Remove the seal from the needle cap (the needle should be still in the needle cap).
- Grip the syringe firmly. Carefully attach the needle to the syringe containing the colourless solution.
- Screw the syringe on the needle still fixed in the needle cap.
- Remove the needle from the needle cap by pulling the syringe. Do not pull up on the plunger.
- The syringe is now ready for injection.
3) Preparing the injection site
- Choose the injection site. The injection site should be a skin fold on your abdomen approximately 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) below your navel on either side. This area should be at least 5 cm (2 inches) away from any scars. Do not choose an area that is bruised, swollen, or painful.
- Clean the injection site with a rubbing alcohol pad and allow it to dry.
4) Injecting the solution
- Hold the syringe in one hand between two fingers with your thumb at the bottom of the plunger.
- Make sure that there is no air bubble in the syringe by pressing the plunger until the first drop appears on the tip of the needle.
- Hold the syringe between 45-90 degrees angle to the skin with needle facing the skin.
- Keeping the syringe in one hand, use your other hand to gently hold a fold of skin between your thumb and fingers at the previously disinfected injection site.
- Hold the fold of skin, bring the syringe to the skin and quickly insert the needle into the skin fold.
- Slowly push the plunger of the syringe with a steady hand until all the fluid is injected into the skin and no liquid remains in the syringe.
- Press slowly so that this takes approximately 30 seconds.
- Release the skin fold and gently pull the needle out.
5) Disposal of the injection material
- Discard the syringe, needle and needle cap into the sharps container for throwing away waste that might hurt others if not handled properly