Varicella zoster immune globulin, human

Varicella zoster immune globulin, human is used for post-exposure prophylaxis of varicella in high-risk individuals. High-risk groups include:

• immunocompromised children and adults,
• newborns of mothers with varicella shortly before or after delivery,
• premature infants,
• neonates and infants less than one year of age,
• adults without evidence of immunity,
• pregnant women.

Varicella zoster immune globulin, human is available under various brand names: VariZIG

Common side effects of Varicella zoster immune globulin, human include:

• injection site pain,
• headaches,
• vomiting,
• nausea,
• joint pain,
• fatigue,

Serious side effects of Varicella zoster immune globulin, human include:

• hives,
• difficulty breathing,
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat,
• signs of a blood clot in the brain--sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
• signs of a blood clot in the heart or lung--chest pain, rapid heart rate, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood;
• signs of a blood clot in your leg--pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs; or
• signs of a new infection--fever, chills, flu symptoms, mouth sores, pain when swallowing.

Rare side effects of Varicella zoster immune globulin, human include:

• none

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors;
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out.

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

 Adult and pediatric dosage

Intramuscular injection

• 125 IU/vial (lyophilized powder)
• 100 IU/mL (after reconstitution)
• Varicella, Postexposure Prophylaxis

Adult dosage

• 625 units IM within 10 days after exposure (ideally within 4 days [96 hours])
• Consider a second full dose for high-risk patients who have additional exposures to varicella for above 3 weeks after the initial administration

Pediatric dosage

• 125 IU/10kg IM; not to exceed 625 IU/dose
• Administer within 10 days after exposure (ideally within 4 days [96 hr])
• Less than 2 kg: 62.5 IU IM
• 2.1-10 kg: 125 IU IM
• 10.1-20 kg: 250 IU IM
• 20.1-30 kg: 375 IU IM
• 30.1-40 kg: 500 IU IM
• More than 40 kg: 625 IU IM
• Consider a second full dose for high-risk patients who have additional exposures to varicella above 3 weeks after the initial administration

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first

• Varicella zoster immune globulin, human has severe interactions with no other drugs.
• Varicella zoster immune globulin, human has serious interactions with the following drugs:
  • axicabtagene ciloleucel
  • brexucabtagene autoleucel
  • ciltacabtagene autoleucel
  • idecabtagene vicleucel
  • lisocabtagene maraleucel
  • tisagenlecleucel
• Varicella zoster immune globulin, human has moderate interactions with the following drug:
  • efgartigimod alfa
• Varicella zoster immune globulin, human has minor interactions with the following drug:
  • protein a column

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your products. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Anaphylactic or hypersensitivity reactions to human immune globulin preparations
• IgA-deficient patients with antibodies against IgA and a history of hypersensitivity may have an anaphylactoid reaction; contains less than 40 mcg/mL of IgA

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Varicella zoster immune globulin, human?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Varicella zoster immune globulin, human?”

Cautions

• Thrombotic events reported during or following treatment with immune globulin products; individuals at risk include those with a history of atherosclerosis, multiple cardiovascular risk factors, advanced age, impaired cardiac output, coagulation disorders, prolonged periods of immobilization, and/or known/suspected hyperviscosity
• For IM administration only; patients with severe thrombocytopenia or any coagulation disorder that would contraindicate IM injections, only administer if the expected benefits outweigh the potential risks
• Made from human plasma, may carry the risk of transmitting infectious agents (eg, viruses, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease [vCJD] agent)

Pregnancy & Lactation

• Use with caution if benefits outweigh risks during pregnancy

Lactation

• Unknown whether distributed in breast milk