Muromonab-CD3

Muromonab-CD3 is an immunosuppressant drug that prevents the body from rejecting a transplanted organ.

• Pronunciation
• Precautions
• How muromonab-CD3 works
• Taking muromonab-CD3
• Common side effects
• Dangerous side effects
• Muromonab-CD3 and pregnancy
• Drug interactions
• Brand names

Pronunciation

Myoo re moe nab

Precautions

Before using this drug, talk to your doctor about the following precautions:

• Avoid persons who have recently taken oral polio vaccine. Do not get close to them and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions, you should consider wearing a protective facemask that covers the nose and mouth.
• If you can, avoid contact with people with colds or other infections.
• Muromonab-CD3 may impair mental alertness and coordination and may affect the ability to operate an automobile or machinery.

How muromonab-CD3 works

Muromonab-CD3 works by blocking the function of CD3 molecules in the membrane of human T-cells to help prevent rejection. T-cells are specialized white blood cells that are created in bone marrow and help protect you from infection. Because of this role, they can also be one of the main instigators of the rejection process.

Taking muromonab-CD3

Muromonab-CD3 is administered by injection only by or under the immediate supervision of your doctor.

Common side effects

• black, tarry stools
• blood in urine or stools
• confusion
• convulsions (seizures)
• cough or hoarseness
• diarrhea
• dizziness or faintness
• fever and chills
• general feeling of discomfort or illness
• hallucinations
• headache
• itching or tingling
• loss of hearing or vision
• lower back or side pain
• muscle or joint pain
• nausea and vomiting
• painful or difficult urination
• pinpoint red spots on skin
• skin rash
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
• stiff neck
• swollen or painful glands
• tightness in the chest
• trembling and shaking of hands
• troubled breathing
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual sensitivity of eyes to light
• unusual tiredness
• weakness

Dangerous side effects

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• chest pain
• rapid or irregular heartbeat
• shortness of breath or wheezing
• swelling of face or throat

Muromonab-CD3 and pregnancy

It is not known whether Muromonab-CD3 can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman, however, it may cross the placenta. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drub, the patient should be aware of the potential hazard to the fetus.

Because it is not known if Muromonab-CD3 passes into breast milk, breast-feeding is not recommended for patients receiving this drug.

Drug interactions

Before taking Muromonab-CD3, tell your doctor if you are taking, have taken, or need to take any of the following medicines:

Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran); Chlorambucil (e.g., Leukeran); Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicine); Cyclophosphamide (e.g., Cytoxan); Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune); Cytarabine (e.g., Cytosar-U); Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol); tacrolimus (e.g., Prograf)

Brand Names

Orthoclone OKT3, manufactured by Ortho Biotech

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