Do not use RUXIENCE if you are allergic to rituximab or proteins of similar mouse or human origin, or any other ingredient in RUXIENCE, or if you have ever had a rare infection of the brain called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if: 

• You have ever had a bad reaction to rituximab or any of the nonmedicinal ingredients. 
• You are allergic to other medications, food, or dyes. 
• You have a history of heart attack or stroke. 
• You are taking any other medicines (including those not prescribed by the doctor). 
• You are taking medication to reduce blood pressure. 
• You are planning to be immunized with a vaccine during or after the completion of your RUXIENCE therapy.
• You have a pre-existing lung disease as you may have a greater chance of breathing difficulties during your RUXIENCE treatment infusion. 
• You have a history of hepatitis B, current hepatitis B or tuberculosis infection. 
• You are pregnant or could become pregnant, or are breastfeeding a child. 

This information will help your doctor and you decide whether you should use RUXIENCE and what extra care may need to be taken while you are on the medication. 

These are not all the possible side effects you may feel when taking RUXIENCE. If you experience any side effects not listed here, contact your healthcare professional. 

The most common possible unwanted effects are infusion-related events and happen to more than 30% of patients treated with RUXIENCE: 

• Fever and chills; 
• Nausea, vomiting, fatigue (feeling tired or weak), headache, skin rash, redness of the skin, itchiness, wheezing or tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sensation of the tongue or throat swelling, throat irritation, rhinitis (runny nose), temporary low blood pressure, flushing, dizziness on standing up, fast heartbeat, chest pain, and pain where the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is located

If these unwanted effects occur, it is most common within 30 minutes to 2 hours after starting the first infusion but may also occur after the infusion has finished. The symptoms are usually mild to moderate, which can be easily treated. Rarely, these reactions can be severe. These unwanted side effects are less common after the first treatment. 

These unwanted effects can be prevented or managed by: 

Additionally:

• Your doctor may instruct you not to take your blood pressure medication 12 hours before and delay taking until after your infusion of RUXIENCE is complete. Please ask your doctor for specific instructions. 
• Because some of the medications given with RUXIENCE may cause some dizziness or sleepiness, you should arrange for someone else to drive you home after each treatment. 

There are also possible unwanted effects which could be serious but are less common: 

• Chest pain, fast or irregular or uneven heartbeat. 
• Decreased white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the blood.         
• Infection and bleeding.         
• Rapid destruction of cells sometimes leading to kidney, heart, or breathing problems (tumour lysis syndrome).
• Redness or blistering of the skin and the inside of the mouth.
• Recurrence of hepatitis B infection. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B include mild fever, feeling of sickness, fatigue, loss of appetite, joint and/or abdominal pain, and yellowing of whites of the eyes, skin, and tongue.         
• Increasing weakness on one side of the body, clumsiness or falls, trouble with thinking or memory, changes in mood, and change in vision. 

If you have been given RUXIENCE in combination with chemotherapy, the following additional unwanted effects may occur: 

• Sudden loss of speech, weakness or numbness of part or all of one side of the body, loss of vision or blurred vision, unexplained dizziness and/or sudden falls.     
• Herpes zoster also known as shingles. Symptoms of shingles include itching, tingling, or severe burning pain with red patches that develop into blisters and are grouped in a cluster usually on the trunk of the body.

Please consult a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for possible unwanted effects that may be caused by CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone), or FC (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy. For more information on possible side effects of RUXIENCE, please refer to the Package Insert provided by your healthcare team.

Talk to your healthcare professional if you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here, or if it becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities. 

Some side effects associated with RUXIENCE are severe and may be life-threatening. This drug should only be used by health professionals experienced in treating cancer in a facility where sudden and life-threatening reactions can be immediately treated.