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Important Safety Information You Should Know About CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol)

What is the most important information I should know about CIMZIA®?

CIMZIA® is a medicine that affects your immune system. CIMZIA® can lower the ability of the immune system to fight infections. Serious infections have happened in patients taking CIMZIA®, including tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some patients have died from these infections.

  • Contact your healthcare provider before starting CIMZIA®.

  • Or call the UCBCares™ Support Patient program: 1-800-908-5555

You should not start receiving CIMZIA® if you have any kind of infection unless your healthcare provider says it is okay.

Storage of CIMZIA®

It is always important to store CIMZIA® at 2–8°C (36–46°F). Check with your pharmacist to make sure that your CIMZIA® prescription has been stored at this temperature before you take it home. Do not freeze CIMZIA® and keep away from light.

From the pharmacy to your home

Your CIMZIA® prescription can be picked up at any local pharmacy.

You can also get your CIMZIA® prescription delivered right to you through the specialty pharmacy brought to you by UCBCares™. The specialty pharmacy that brings your prescription to you is experienced in the storage and delivery of CIMZIA®. This pharmacy has cooling equipment to help keep CIMZIA® at the correct temperature. It also has a supply of CIMZIA® to fill your prescription.

Ask about your pharmacy options. Talk to your UCBCares™ nurse case manager about using your local pharmacy or a specialty pharmacy to order your required CIMZIA® dosage.

For more information on the UCBCares™ services available, call the patient support call centre at 1-800-908-5555.

The call centre is available 8 am to 8 pm, EST, 5 days a week Monday - Friday.

If you have any questions about the UCBCaresTM patient support program, please call your Nurse Case Manager, available from 9am to 5pm. The call center is available 8am to 8pm at 1-800-908-5555.

How should I dispose of CIMZIA®?

For your convenience, sharps containers (SHARPSpak) can be provided to you upon request. Your SHARPS-pak is part of the UCBCares™ program. Keep the SHARPS-pak box that your sharps containers arrived in. You will need this when you send back your filled sharps containers.

When your first sharps container is about two-thirds full, close and lock the lid. Store the container until all of your sharps containers are used.

After all containers are two-thirds full, put them back in the SHARPS-pak box. This is the box they were originally shipped in. Close the lid and seal the box. Please return your SHARPS-pak boxes to the appropriate return sites in your area.

For specific information on return locations in your area, please go to the health Canada steward website: http://www.healthsteward.ca/

If you have trouble returning your sharps containers, please talk to your personal nurse case manager.

For specific information regarding your province, please visit the Health Canada Steward Website: http://www.healthsteward.ca/.

Always keep your needles, injection supplies and SHARPS disposal container away and out of reach of children.