Thanks everybody who replied.
I called 844-KEVZARA .
“ Sanofi “
They transferred me twice, so I spoke with three personel in three departments. All wanting to help.
Bottom line. They don’t know.
And, I was also informed that testing has not been done on re-refrigerated Kevzara to see if it is still the same chemically and/or safe after it has been warmed to room temperature and then refrigerated again.
My lesson is this (lesson to me):
When I pick up Kevzara at my pharmacy, I will take a cooler with ice packs in it so that on the drive home (from the pharmacy to my house, where my refrigerator is) it won’t reach room temperature, before I can put it in my refrigerator.
Why? Because they haven’t tested it in that way. That was the answer. They wanted to help me but they didn’t have testing for that.
Like I said, when I brought it home the first thing I did was immediately read all of the paperwork (and it is mostly all fine print) and it said to keep refrigerated so I put it in the refrigerator.
I think prescribers and pharmacists should make the patient or their “pick-up” representative aware that it should not reach room temperature and then be refrigerated again; and that it must leave the pharmacy in a cooler or refrigerated device. Adding that it must not be frozen either.
I also learned (condensed version):
Kevzara was developed jointly by Sanofi and Regeneron.
The prefilled auto pens are sold from Japan.
Marketing responsibility is done by Sanofi.
For medical inquiries, Sanofi can be reached at 1-800-633-1610.
So,
Keep it refrigerated from the check-out at the pharmacy to your refrigerator.
Or, keep it unopened in the original packaging, so that it is not exposed to light and at room temperature for up to 14 days; and inject it before the end of day 14.
I read about people saying that the injection hurt or it made them feel ill on this website and others. Maybe it had to do with refrigeration to room temperature and then re-refrigerated before it was again brought up to room temperature and injected.
Yes, this was long. I just want to help educate(fill in blanks) so everyone stays safe.
My rheumatologist told me to take it.
@stonewheel That's good advice if you are picking up your Kevzara or Actemra from a pharmacy. But I doubt very many people pick up one of those medications. I live in the Raleigh area of NC, but I think my Actemra is shipped to me from Delaware. It would be nice to be able to pick it up locally. I have to schedule a delivery date every month with the specialty pharmacy, and then be around at the expected delivery time so that I can unpack it and put it in the fridge.