Rapivab

Rapivab is a prescription medication used to prevent and treat "the flu", an infection caused by the influenza virus. Rapivab can be used in children 2 years and older and adults.

Rapivab belongs to a group of drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors, which attack the influenza virus to stop it from spreading inside your body.

Rapivab is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Rapivab is a prescription medication used to prevent and treat "the flu", an infection caused by the influenza virus. Rapivab can be used in adults and children 2 years or older.  

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with Rapivab. See the “Rapivab Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Rapivab include the following:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

This is not a complete list of Rapivab side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take Influenza vaccines.

This is not a complete list of Rapivab drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Rapivab including the following:

• Dermatologic side effects. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of dermatologic side effects.
  • Ulcers or lesions on the skin or mucous membranes
  • Rash
  • Itching
  • Redness
  • Blisters
• Neuropsychiatric side effects. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of neuropsychiatric side effects.
  • Hallucinations
  • Delirium
  • Abnormal behavior

Do not take Rapivab if you are allergic to Rapivab or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Rapivab, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Rapivab, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Rapivab or to any of its ingredients
• have recently received a live attenuated influenza vaccine
• have or had had kidney disease or impairment
• receive hemodialysis
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Rapivab falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Rapivab crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Rapivab.

Take Rapivab exactly as prescribed.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have

The recommended dose of Rapivab for the treatment of the flu in adults and adolescents 13 years and older is 600 mg administered directly into a vein (IV) over 15 minutes within 2 days of the onset of flu symptoms.

The recommended dose of Rapivab in children 2 to 12 years of age is 12 mg/kg (up to 600 mg) administered directly into a vein (IV) over 15 minutes within 2 days of the onset of flu symptoms.  

The dose of Rapivab is lowered for patients with kidney problems. 

Since Rapivab is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.