This leaflet answers some common questions about Thymoglobuline.

It does not contain all the available information.

It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Thymoglobuline against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

You may need to read it again.

You have been given a new transplanted kidney from another person because your own was no longer healthy. Your body recognises that this new organ is different from your organs and will try to reject it by attacking it in the same way it would attack germs that enter your body. This could make you ill again. The name of your medicine is Thymoglobuline. It belongs to a group of medicines called immunosuppressants (anti-rejection medicines). These medicines suppress your immune system and can help prevent your body from rejecting the transplanted kidney.

Thymoglobuline is also used to treat aplastic anaemia, which is a serious condition in which your bone marrow can no longer produce enough blood cells.

Your doctor may have prescribed Thymoglobuline for another purpose.

Thymoglobuline works by lowering certain cells within your body's immune system which are likely to attack your transplanted organ

Thymoglobuline works by lowering certain cells within your body's immune system, thus giving your bone marrow a chance to produce blood cells.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

If you have not already told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you take Thymoglobuline.

Thymoglobuline is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

It is not known whether Thymoglobuline passes into breast milk. Breastfeeding is not recommended whilst receiving Thymoglobuline treatment.

This is because some medicines can affect the way Thymoglobuline works or Thymoglobuline can affect how other medicines work. These include medicines which suppress your body's immune system (immunosuppressants), such as: cyclosporin, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, corticosteroids. Taking these medicines in combination with Thymoglobuline may increase the risk of over-suppressing your body's immune system. You may need different amounts of these medicines, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor will determine which medicines and calculate the doses most suitable for you. You may receive some of the medicines in the list above as part of your ongoing treatment after your kidney transplant (see section Additional Medications below).

Talk to your doctor before getting vaccinations while you are receiving Thymoglobuline

Thymoglobuline will be given by a drip directly into one of your veins (intravenous infusion) in hospital by a doctor or nurse. The infusion will last about 6 hours for the first dose and 4 hours for doses after that.

The amount of Thymoglobuline you receive will depend upon the organ which you have received, your weight and whether you are taking other immunosuppressant medicines. Your doctor will calculate the dose which is most suitable for you.

The amount of Thymoglobuline you receive will depend upon your weight and other medication which you may be taking for your condition. Your doctor will calculate the dose which is most suitable for you.

Thymoglobuline will be given as an intravenous infusion

Thymoglobuline will be given as an intravenous infusion every day for 5 days to treat aplastic anaemia.

As part of your treatment, after kidney transplantation your doctor will usually give you other medicines in addition to Thymoglobuline. These medicines (immunosuppressants) also reduce your body's immune system response to the transplanted organ. These medicines may include some of the following: cyclosporine, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine and corticosteroids.

Approximately an hour before you receive Thymoglobuline, you may be given the following medications to reduce your chances of developing certain adverse reactions to Thymoglobuline:

As Thymoglobuline is given to you under the supervision of your doctor, it is very unlikely that you will receive too much. However, if you experience any unexpected or worrying side effects after being given Thymoglobuline, immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 or go to the Accident and Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

Your doctor may wish to test your body's response to Thymoglobuline to make sure that the medicine is working properly.

If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are being given Thymoglobuline.

Thymoglobuline should not normally interfere with your ability to drive or operate machinery but make sure you know how Thymoglobuline affects you before you drive a car, operate machinery or do anything that may be dangerous if you are dizzy, light headed, tired or drowsy.

All medicines have some unwanted side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not. Your doctor or pharmacist has weighed the risks of using this medicine against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

Thymoglobuline may cause a temporary lowering of your infection-fighting white blood cells, which may make you more prone to catching infections. This may result in fever, chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers. Thymoglobuline may also cause a temporary lowering of your platelets which may make you more prone to blood clotting problems. This may cause you to bleed and bruise more easily.

Sometimes the effects of Thymoglobuline may not occur until months after it is used. These delayed effects may include an increased risk of infections.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.

Thymoglobuline is stored in the pharmacy or on the hospital ward and kept in the refrigerator, between 2°C and 8°C.

Thymoglobuline should not be frozen.

Thymoglobuline is a creamy white freeze dried powder supplied in a 10 ml glass vial.

Active ingredients:

Rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin 5 mg/mL.