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Preparing for treatment day

Preparing for treatment day

Preparing for treatment day

Once a doctor has confirmed eligibility for ELEVIDYS, there are a few additional steps leading up to treatment day. The treatment center will walk you through these steps.

1. Doctor’s visit

A doctor will perform the required pretreatment tests and discuss what to expect on treatment day, including possible side effects. They will also measure liver function, platelet counts, and heart function. These values will then be compared to results after treatment as part of ongoing follow-up and safety monitoring.

2. Know what to expect

You will receive a comprehensive kit in the mail outlining important steps before and after treatment and sharing ideas from other families to help make treatment day as smooth as possible. It may also be helpful to discuss the plan for the day with your child’s doctor. 

This animated video can help you explain the ELEVIDYS treatment process to your child.

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3. Treatment-related steroids

Your child may already take steroids. ELEVIDYS treatment-related steroids are also required just before treatment to help reduce the chance their body’s immune system will react to ELEVIDYS. These will be taken right before and for at least 60 days after treatment. It’s important to follow the doctor’s instructions regarding the required dose. 

Here’s some helpful information for when treatment-related steroids will likely begin:

If your childThen start the ELEVIDYS treatment-related steroid regimen
check Currently takes steroids
1 day before treatment day
Does not currently take steroids
1 week before treatment day

All vaccinations must be up to date at least 4 weeks before beginning treatment-related steroids. This is because the treatment-related steroids could interfere with the body’s ability to be successfully vaccinated.

The importance of staying healthy

ELEVIDYS treatment may be postponed if there are signs of an infection due to the risk of a serious immune response. In the weeks leading up to the ELEVIDYS treatment day, it can be helpful to wear a mask in crowded spaces, wash hands frequently, and avoid being around those who are sick.

Guide for friends and family

A resource for your support network to better understand ELEVIDYS and how they can help you throughout the process.

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What is ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl)?

ELEVIDYS is a prescription gene therapy used to treat ambulatory individuals at least 4 years old with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene.

ELEVIDYS is approved under accelerated approval for non-ambulatory patients at least 4 years old with DMD who have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. Accelerated approval allows for drugs to be approved based on a marker that is considered reasonably likely to predict a clinical benefit. ELEVIDYS treatment increased the marker, ELEVIDYS micro-dystrophin in skeletal muscle. Verification of a clinical benefit may be needed for ELEVIDYS to continue to be approved for non-ambulatory patients with DMD.

Important Safety Information

Who should not receive ELEVIDYS?
Individuals with certain types of mutations, any deletion in exon 8 and/or exon 9 in the DMD gene, should not receive ELEVIDYS.

What is the most important information to know about ELEVIDYS?
Infusion-related reactions, including hypersensitivity and serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), have occurred during and after ELEVIDYS infusion. Symptoms may include fast heart rate, fast breathing, swollen lips, shortness of breath, nostrils widening, hives, red and blotchy skin, itchy or inflamed lips, rash, vomiting, nausea, chills, and fever. Your doctor will monitor you during and at least 3 hours after ELEVIDYS infusion. If an infusion-related reaction occurs, your doctor may slow or stop the ELEVIDYS infusion and provide additional medical treatment as needed. Contact a healthcare provider immediately if infusion-related symptoms occur. 

ELEVIDYS can increase certain liver enzyme levels and cause acute serious liver injury. Patients will receive oral corticosteroid medication before and after infusion with ELEVIDYS and will undergo weekly blood tests to monitor liver enzyme levels for 3 months after treatment. Contact a healthcare provider immediately if the patient’s skin and/or whites of the eyes appear yellowish or if the patient misses a dose of corticosteroid or vomits it up. 

Administration of ELEVIDYS may be delayed in patients who have acute liver disease until the condition is resolved or under control. Patients with preexisting liver impairment, chronic liver infection, or acute liver disease may be at higher risk of acute serious liver injury.

Immune-mediated myositis (an immune response affecting muscles) was observed in patients with a deletion mutation in the DMD gene that is contraindicated. Patients with certain mutation deletions (in exons 1 to 17 and/or exons 59 to 71) may be at risk for a severe immune-mediated myositis reaction. Caregivers should contact a healthcare provider immediately if the patient experiences any unexplained increased muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, including difficulty swallowing, breathing, or speaking, as these may be symptoms of myositis. 

Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) has been observed within days following ELEVIDYS infusion. The patient’s doctor will conduct weekly blood tests for the first month after treatment to evaluate troponin-I (a cardiac protein that can detect damage to muscle cells in the heart). Caregivers should contact a healthcare provider immediately if the patient begins to experience chest pain and/or shortness of breath. More frequent monitoring may be required if the patient has cardiac symptoms. 

Patients need to have blood tests to ensure that they do not have antibodies that may prevent them from being able to receive ELEVIDYS, as introducing the gene therapy could increase the risk of a severe allergic reaction or prevent desired therapeutic levels. Treatment with ELEVIDYS is not recommended for patients who have high antibodies to the vector, the part of gene therapy used to deliver ELEVIDYS. 

Due to the need to follow a corticosteroid regimen, an infection (such as cold, flu, gastroenteritis [stomach flu], otitis media [ear infection], bronchiolitis [respiratory infection], etc) before or after ELEVIDYS infusion could lead to more serious complications. Caregivers should contact a healthcare provider immediately if they see any symptoms suggestive of infection, such as coughing, wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, or fever.

Are there any considerations for vaccination schedules and ELEVIDYS?
Patient vaccinations should be up to date with current immunization guidelines. Vaccinations should be received at least 4 weeks prior to starting the corticosteroid regimen that is required before receiving ELEVIDYS.

Are there any precautions that need to be considered when handling a patient’s bodily waste?
Vector shedding of ELEVIDYS occurs primarily through body waste. Patients and caregivers should use proper hand hygiene, such as hand washing when coming into direct contact with patient body waste. Place potentially contaminated materials that may have the patient’s bodily fluids/waste in a sealable bag and dispose into regular trash. Precautions should be followed for 1 month after ELEVIDYS infusion.

What are the possible or likely side effects of ELEVIDYS?
The most common side effects that occurred in patients treated with ELEVIDYS were vomiting, nausea, liver injury, fever, and decreased platelet counts. 

The safety information provided here is not comprehensive. Talk to the patient’s doctor about any side effects that bother the patient or that don’t go away.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Sarepta Therapeutics at 1-888-SAREPTA (1-888-727-3782).

Please see full Prescribing Information for ELEVIDYS.

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