Possible side effects with BLENREP
Like all medications, BLENREP may cause side effects, but not everybody will get them. The side effects listed here are not all the possible side effects that you may experience with BLENREP. Talk to your doctor if you experience any of these side effects or others not listed here.
Infusion-related reactions
Infusion-related reactions may develop within minutes or hours, up to 24 hours after treatment and may appear with symptoms of flushing, chills, fever, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat or drop in blood pressure. Get medical help immediately if you think you may be having a reaction.
Very common side effects
- Upper respiratory tract infections with cold or cold-like symptoms (cough, runny nose or sore throat)
- Infections from low white blood cell count (neutropenia, lymphopenia, and leukopenia) [this was seen commonly with BPd; up to 1 in 10]
- Weakness and fatigue from low red blood cell count (anemia)
- Abnormal liver enzyme levels, which may be a sign of liver problems (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase [for both BVd and BPd] as well as gamma glutamyl transferase [for BVd])
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Nausea
Common side effects
- Eye-related issues: tear production (lacrimation), double vision (diplopia), itchy eyes (eye pruritus), discomfort in the eye, eye sores, possibly with infection (corneal ulcers including infective keratitis and ulcerative keratitis) [eye sores were seen less commonly with BVd; up to 1 in 100]
- Foamy, frothy or bubbly-looking urine, which may be a sign of high protein levels (albuminuria)
- Abnormal liver enzyme levels, which may be a sign of liver problems (gamma glutamyl transferase [for BPd])
- Vomiting
Serious side effects with BLENREP
Very common serious side effects
- Eye-related changes: changes to the surface of your eye, blurred vision, dry eyes, feeling of something in your eye (foreign body sensation in eyes), eye irritation, sensitivity to light (photophobia), eye pain, decrease or changes in vision
- Infection of the lungs (pneumonia): fever, trouble breathing, chest pain and new onset or worsening cough
- Low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia): abnormal bruising under the skin, bleeding longer than usual after a blood test or cut to the skin, and bleeding from your nose or your gums or more serious bleeding
Other serious side effects
- Lung problems (pneumonitis): trouble breathing, chest pains and dry cough due to inflammation of the lungs
Talk to your doctor if you notice symptoms related to abnormal bruising and bleeding, infusion-related reactions, eye-related side effects, lung problems or any other symptoms that worry you. Your doctor may temporarily pause your treatment, reduce your dose, change the time between doses, or stop treatment.
Your doctor will schedule eye examinations and blood tests before and during treatment to monitor your eye health and platelet levels.