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I want to celebrate his first day of kindergarten.
I want to cheer wildly at my son's lacrosse game.
I want to take my wife on vacation to Hawaii.
This is my time. Infection won’t take it away from me.
ACTIMMUNE® (Interferon gamma-1b) helps lower the risk of serious infection* in people with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).
See how ACTIMMUNE® may help you or your loved one.
Find a healthcare provider in your area who has prescribed ACTIMMUNE®.
Get ongoing support from a registered nurse every step of the way of your CGD journey.
At ACTIMMUNE.com, you can learn more about the signs and symptoms of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). You can find information on how ACTIMMUNE® helps protect against serious infections and hear from patients and caregivers about living with CGD and taking ACTIMMUNE®.
You can also download helpful resources that explain CGD and get tips to help you start and stay on ACTIMMUNE® for CGD. Another resource to help you at every step is a CGD nurse educator and case manager, available at no cost. Sign up for more information and valuable tips about ACTIMMUNE® to help treat CGD.
*An infection is serious if you have to go to the hospital and get intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
ACTIMMUNE® is part of a drug regimen used to treat Chronic Granulomatous Disease, or CGD. CGD is a genetic disorder, usually diagnosed in childhood, that affects some cells of the immune system and the body's ability to fight infections effectively.
ACTIMMUNE® is part of a drug regimen used to treat Chronic Granulomatous Disease, or CGD. CGD is a genetic disorder, usually diagnosed in childhood, that affects some cells of the immune system and the body's ability to fight infections effectively. CGD is often treated (though not cured) with antibiotics, antifungals, and ACTIMMUNE.
Don't use ACTIMMUNE if you are allergic to interferon-gamma, E coli-derived products, or any ingredients contained in the product.
The most common side effects with ACTIMMUNE are "flu-like" symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, or fatigue, which may decrease in severity as treatment continues. Bedtime administration of ACTIMMUNE may help reduce some of these symptoms. Acetaminophen may be helpful in preventing fever and headache.
ACTIMMUNE® is owned by or licensed to Horizon. All other referenced trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
I was extremely nervous giving my son the injection for the first time. I was afraid I was going to hurt him, I didn't like needles myself and he had been through so much already. But after the nurse educator showed us how to do it, I completed that first injection and now it's part of our routine.
Hi, I'm Jeannie, and I'm Thaddaeus and I have been taking ACTIMMUNE® for two years and if I can get comfortable with it, you can too.
When you first start ACTIMMUNE®, your doctor or a nurse will show you how to inject. If you ever have questions, that's who you should call first. You should also read the Patient/Caregiver Information that came with your ACTIMMUNE®. Don't try to inject until you've been trained and told you're good to go.
Before we can begin the injection, we need do a few things.
I like to take the vial out of the fridge about 15 minutes beforehand, so it has time to get up to room temperature.
It's important to always look the vial over. If it's past the expiration date or if its content looks cloudy, don't use it. And don't ever shake the vial.
In addition to your vial of ACTIMMUNE®, you'll need alcohol swabs or alcohol-soaked cotton balls, and a syringe and needle. Also a sharps container, which you'll need for disposing of the syringe and needle later.
Always wash your hands with soap before measuring your dose of ACTIMMUNE®.
Take the red cap off the vial, then wipe the top with your alcohol swab.
Next, take the syringe out of its package. Leaving on the plastic needle guard, draw air into the syringe by pulling back on the plunger. I pull it back to the mark for the dose of ACTIMMUNE® our doctor told us to take.
Then take off the needle guard, and set it aside for the moment.
Holding the vial upright, carefully stick the needle in through the rubber top and push the plunger down all the way so the air goes into the vial.
Now hold the vial upside down with one hand, and with the other hand, slowly pull the plunger out to the mark for the dose of ACTIMMUNE® your doctor told you to take, drawing the correct amount of medicine into the syringe.
Finally, take the needle out and replace the needle guard.
Now that we've measured our dose, we have to select an injection site. It's important to rotate the site with every injection so that the skin has time to recover.
The usual injection sites are the thighs, the belly and the upper arms. Our doctor told us to look for a place that's padded by some fat underneath the skin, which helps reduce any pain. If you select the belly, make sure you inject at least 2 inches away from the belly button.
You have to work together on what works and what doesn't work. We only do injections in the thighs because he's not comfortable with the belly or the upper arms.
Now we're ready to inject ACTIMMUNE®. First, I sterilize the injection site with an alcohol swab. Then I remove the needle guard as I hold the syringe just like a pencil.
With my other hand, I gently squeeze the skin to be injected between my fingers to form a soft fold. I tell Thaddeaus to try to relax as much as he can and then I push the needle in with a quick, firm motion at about a 45-degree angle.
Now that the needle is in, I pull back on the plunger just a little to see if blood comes into the syringe. See, there's no blood in the syringe, so I'm ready to inject. But if I had seen blood, I would have removed the needle from his skin and tried again at another location.
Slowly inject the ACTIMMUNE® by gently pushing the plunger until the syringe is empty. This should take just a few seconds.
Withdraw the needle quickly. Then apply pressure for a few seconds with a cotton ball or gauze. Then put a bandage on, and that's it.
Now my injection is done and I'm back in action, we just need to dispose of everything properly.
It's important to replace the needle guard and toss the needle and syringe in your sharps container.
And finally, dispose of any unused ACTIMMUNE® the way your doctor told you to. Now we're done!
Even after your doctor has taken you through the steps, being nervous about injecting is totally normal. But trust me, it gets easier with practice.
At first I was scared of taking my Actimmune® but now I've been practicing and it gets easier.
I'm extremely proud of the way Thaddeaus handles this. We've come a long way, he's starting to learn how to do each step. He's got to own this part of managing his disease.
If you want to review any of these steps again, please refer to the chapters listed on the screen.
I hope this video helps you get more comfortable. And if you still have questions, call your doctor.
By the way, the Horizon Support Network will give you a sharps container at no cost. Call the number on the screen to reach a program coordinator.
The most common side effects with ACTIMMUNE® are “flu-like” symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, or fatigue, which may decrease in severity as treatment continues. Bedtime administration of ACTIMMUNE® may help with some of these symptoms. Acetaminophen may be helpful in preventing fever and headache.
Please see the Full Prescribing Information and Important Safety Information available on this website. Please read the Information for Patients/Caregivers and consult your healthcare professional before giving an injection of ACTIMMUNE®.
Occasionally, a problem may develop at an injection site. Call your doctor or nurse if you see a lump, swelling, or bruising that doesn't go away, or any signs of infection, such as pus, hot skin, or pain that does not go away.
Hi, I'm Randy, and I'm going to show you how I take ACTIMMUNE®. And believe me, if I can get comfortable with self-injecting, you can too.
When you first start ACTIMMUNE®, your doctor or a nurse will show you how to inject. If you ever have questions, that's who to call first.
You should also read the Patient/Caregiver Information that came with your ACTIMMUNE®. Don't try to inject until you've been trained and told you're good to go.
Think of this video as a refresher—a little reminder on how to give an injection. OK? Let's get started.
The first thing you do is lay out all your supplies on a clean surface. I like to take the vial out of the fridge about 15 minutes beforehand, so it has time to get up to room temperature.
Always look over the vial. If it's past the expiration date or if it looks cloudy, don't use it. And don't ever shake the vial.
In addition to your vial of ACTIMMUNE®, you'll need alcohol swabs or alcohol-soaked cotton balls and a syringe and needle. Also a Sharps Container, which you'll need for disposing of the syringe and needle later.
I take off the red cap from the vial, then I wipe the top with an alcohol swab. I take the syringe out of its package. Leaving on the plastic needle guard, I draw air into the syringe by pulling back on the plunger. I pull it back just to the mark for the dose of ACTIMMUNE® my doctor told me to take.
I take off the needle guard and set it aside for the moment.
Holding the vial upright, I carefully stick the needle in through the rubber top. Gently, I push the plunger down all the way so the air goes into the vial.
I hold the vial upside down with one hand, and with the other hand, I slowly pull the plunger out to the mark for the dose of ACTIMMUNE® my doctor told me to take, drawing the correct amount of medicine into the syringe.
I take the needle out and replace the needle guard. So, I've measured my dose and I'll inject in just a moment, but first I'm going to select an injection site.
It's important to rotate the site with every injection, so that the skin has time to heal. The usual injection sites are the thighs, the belly and the upper arms. My doctor told me to look for a place with some fat in it, which minimizes discomfort. If you select the belly, make sure you inject at least 2 inches away from the belly button.
First, I clean the injection site with an alcohol swab.
I remove the needle guard, then I hold the syringe, sort of like a pencil. With my other hand, I squeeze the skin to be injected between my fingers. I try to relax, then I put the needle in with a quick, firm motion. It should go in at about a 45-degree angle.
Now that the needle is in, I pull back on the plunger just a little to see if blood comes into the syringe. There's no blood in the syringe, so I'm ready to inject. But if I had seen blood, I would have removed the needle from my skin and tried again at another location.
Withdraw the needle quickly. Then apply pressure for a few seconds with a cotton ball or gauze.
I've given the injection, but I'm not done until I've disposed of everything the right way. It's important to replace the needle guard and toss the needle and syringe in your sharps container.
And finally, you need to dispose of any unused ACTIMMUNE® the way your doctor told you to.
Now you're done. Good job!
Now to help me keep track, I like to record the time and the location of the injection on this injection site calendar.
The most common side effects with ACTIMMUNE® are “flu-like” symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, or fatigue, which may decrease in severity as treatment continues. Bedtime administration of ACTIMMUNE may help with some of these symptoms. Acetaminophen may be helpful in preventing fever and headache.
Even after your doctor has trained you, being nervous about injecting ACTIMMUNE® is totally normal. But trust me, it really does get better with practice.
If you want to review any of the steps in this process, please click the chapter titles at right. I hope this video helps you become more comfortable with injecting. And if you still have questions, call your doctor.
Why ACTIMMUNE® for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD)?
My name is Irma. I'm the clinical nurse educator. When I go to the patient's house, the first thing I do is I introduce myself and my role and why I'm there for that day. I give them an opportunity to just share everything that they've been through.
I'm Jeannie, the mother of Thaddeus. My son is 9 years old, and he was diagnosed with CGD at 6 years old. The great thing about the support services is that it helps you not to feel alone. Just having that person that you know that you can call, and they can come and visit, and they can get to know your child and know you.
We offer education, support, and advocacy. They can pick up the phone and call us. We're there with them.
One of the most important things is when she described the CGD to Thaddeus to help him understand what was wrong with his system, what caused it. That it wasn't his fault.
I let them know that it's an inherited primary immunodeficiency disease. It affects the child's ability to fight infection. It doesn't mean that they have to be isolated from the world. It doesn't affect who they are. They just need to be careful.
I encourage any new families to take advantage of the support services, because the support team is fantastic.