Hemlibra® 60 mg/0.4 mL (Emicizumab) Injection in Pakistan

Hemlibra® 60 mg/0.4 mL is a prescription biologic medicine containing emicizumab, a bispecific monoclonal antibody used as a preventive treatment for bleeding in people with haemophilia A, with or without factor VIII inhibitors. Roche Pakistan lists Hemlibra in 30 mg, 60 mg, 105 mg and 150 mg presentations for subcutaneous use.

Active Ingredient

• Brand: Hemlibra®
• Active ingredient: Emicizumab
• Strength: 60 mg/0.4 mL
• Concentration: 150 mg/mL
• Dosage form: Solution for injection
• Route: Subcutaneous (under the skin)
• Presentation: Single-dose vial

Uses

Hemlibra® is used for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in patients with haemophilia A (congenital factor VIII deficiency), including patients with and without factor VIII inhibitors. It can be used across age groups where approved.

How Does Hemlibra® Work?

Emicizumab is designed to bring together factor IXa and factor X, helping restore an important step in the blood-clotting process. In this way, it performs a function similar to factor VIII in supporting clot formation.

Dosage & Administration

Hemlibra is administered by subcutaneous injection. A commonly used regimen begins with a loading dose of 3 mg/kg once weekly for the first 4 weeks, followed by a maintenance regimen selected by the treating physician, such as once weekly, every 2 weeks, or every 4 weeks.

The exact dose and schedule must be determined by the patient's haemophilia specialist.

Important Safety Information

Hemlibra can interfere with certain laboratory tests used to measure blood clotting and factor VIII activity. It is particularly important that healthcare professionals know a patient is receiving emicizumab when managing bleeding episodes.

There is also an important safety warning concerning thrombotic microangiopathy and thromboembolic events, particularly when certain bypassing agents such as activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC) are used at high cumulative doses during Hemlibra treatment.

Possible Side Effects

Possible side effects may include:

• Injection-site reactions
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Muscle or joint pain

Serious blood-clotting complications can occur and require urgent medical evaluation.

Storage

Hemlibra is a temperature-sensitive biologic medicine. It should generally be stored refrigerated at 2°C–8°C, protected from light and not frozen. Appropriate cold-chain handling is important during transportation and storage.

Availability in Pakistan

Roche Pakistan officially lists Hemlibra 30 mg, 60 mg, 105 mg and 150 mg (SC) (emicizumab) among its pharmaceutical products in Pakistan. Roche also provides information regarding its authorized distributors for genuine Roche medicines.

Availability Across Pakistan

Hemlibra® 60 mg/0.4 mL may be sourced through specialist pharmacies and authorized medicine suppliers in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Sukkur, Larkana, and other major cities of Pakistan, subject to current stock and cold-chain requirements.

Prescription Information

Hemlibra® is a specialist prescription medicine and should be used under the supervision of a qualified haemophilia specialist or hematologist. It should be obtained through a licensed pharmacy or authorized medicine supplier.