INDICATIONS

Nplate® is a prescription medicine used to treat low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) in:

  • adults with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) when certain medicines or surgery to remove your spleen have not worked well enough. Read More
  • children 1 year of age and older with ITP for at least 6 months when certain medicines or surgery to remove your spleen have not worked well enough.
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ABOUT IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA (ITP)

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Immune thrombocytopenia, previously called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is an autoimmune disease that lowers the body's platelet count, so you don't have enough platelets in your blood. Its cause is unknown and there is no cure.

ITP can be unpredictable

Because of the peaks and valleys of platelet counts,
living with ITP can be unpredictable and feel like a roller coaster.

SYMPTOMS

What are some ITP symptoms?

Some people find out they have ITP because they have symptoms, while others show no symptoms.

  • Small red dots on the skin caused by broken blood vessels (petechiae)
  • Purple spots on the skin (purpura)
  • Bruising on the arms and legs resulting from seemingly minor bumps (ecchymosis)
  • Frequent or heavy nosebleeds (epistaxis)
  • Heavy bleeding during menstruation (menorrhagia)
  • Bleeding from the gums (gingival bleeding)
  • Blood in the urine (hematuria)
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If a person with ITP has very low platelet counts, it is possible to have internal bleeding or, in rare cases, bleeding in the brain.
Severe bleeding is rare in ITP.

It's important to tell your doctor about any symptoms you're experiencing.

A person with ITP
Download sympton trackerDownload sympton tracker

Keep track of your symptoms

Download the symptom and medical history summary
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Platelets are important for clotting your blood. A normal platelet count for most people is more than 150,000. A platelet count of at least 50,000 can reduce the risk of bleeding

MANAGING ITP

Managing ITPManaging ITP

While there is no cure for ITP, gaining platelet stability is key

  • Some people with ITP need ongoing treatment to keep platelet counts stable
  • While others can stop treatment and achieve
    treatment-free remission

    — Meaning their platelets remain stable and above 50,000, even after stopping treatment

Partner with your healthcare teamPartner with your healthcare team

Partner with your healthcare team to track progress

  • Even if your treatment is working, platelets can rise and fall
  • Your healthcare team will try and keep your platelet count within a certain range, rather than an exact number
  • Set a goal with your doctor for your platelet counts that can be sustained over time

TREATMENT OPTIONS

There are different types of treatment for ITP

Some treatments help limit your body from destroying plateletsSome treatments help limit your body from destroying platelets

Some treatments help limit your body from destroying platelets

  • Steroids are commonly used as a first treatment
    — However, they can suppress your immune system
  • Most people will eventually need a second, or different type of medication for their ITP

Other treatments help your body make more platelets to reduce the risk of bleedingOther treatments help your body make more platelets to reduce the risk of bleeding

Other treatments help your body make more platelets to reduce the risk of bleeding

  • These treatments, like Nplate®, are called platelet boosters
  • Unlike steroids, they work with your body to boost and maintain platelet counts

If and when people need to stop treatment with steroids, it can be for different reasons, such as: steroids stop working well enough, they’ve experienced side effects, or their doctors decided they have been on it long enough.

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Steroids are recommended for no more than 6 weeks by the American Society of Hematology

Work with your doctor on your treatment plan

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See how others with ITP talk to their doctors about treatment possibilities
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Nplate®
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Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about Nplate®?

  • Nplate® can cause serious side effects, including:

  • Worsening of a precancerous blood condition to a blood cancer (leukemia): Nplate® is not for use in people with a precancerous condition called myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or for any condition other than immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). If you have MDS and receive Nplate®, your MDS condition may worsen and become an acute leukemia. If MDS worsens to become acute leukemia you may die sooner from the acute leukemia.

  • Higher risk for blood clots:

    • You may have a higher risk of getting a blood clot if your platelet count becomes high during treatment with Nplate®. You may have severe complications or die from some forms of blood clots, such as clots that spread to the lungs or that cause heart attacks or strokes.
    • If you have a chronic liver disease, you may get blood clots in the veins of your liver. This may affect your liver function.

  • What are the possible side effects of Nplate®?

    • Nplate® may cause serious side effects. See “What is the most important information I should know about Nplate®?”
    • The most common side effects of Nplate® in adults include:
      • headache
      • joint pain
      • dizziness
      • trouble sleeping
      • muscle tenderness or weakness
      • pain in arms and legs
      • stomach (abdomen) pain
      • shoulder pain
      • indigestion
      • tingling or numbness in hands and feet
      • bronchitis
      • inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis)
      • vomiting
      • diarrhea
      • upper respiratory tract infection
      • cough
      • nausea
      • pain in mouth and throat (oropharyngeal pain)
    • The most common side effects of Nplate® in children 1 year of age and older include:
      • bruising
      • upper respiratory tract infection
      • pain in mouth and throat (oropharyngeal pain)
      • headache
    • People who take Nplate® may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in the bone marrow called “increased reticulin.” These changes may improve if you stop taking Nplate®. Your healthcare provider may need to check your bone marrow for this problem during treatment with Nplate®.
    • These are not all the possible side effects of Nplate®. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
    • If you have any questions about this information, be sure to discuss with your doctor. 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.

How will I receive Nplate®?

Nplate® is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous) one time each week by your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will check your platelet count every week and change your dose of Nplate® as needed. This will continue until your healthcare provider decides that your dose of Nplate® can stay the same. After that, you will need to get blood tests every month. When you stop receiving Nplate®, you will need blood tests for at least 2 weeks to check if your platelet count drops too low.

APPROVED USES

Nplate® is a prescription medicine used to treat low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) in:

  • adults with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) when certain medicines or surgery to remove your spleen have not worked well enough.
  • children 1 year of age and older with ITP for at least 6 months when certain medicines or surgery to remove your spleen have not worked well enough.

Nplate® is not for use in people with a precancerous condition called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or low platelet count caused by any condition other than immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Nplate® is only used if your low platelet count and medical condition increase your risk of bleeding. Nplate® is used to try to keep your platelet count about 50,000 per microliter in order to lower the risk for bleeding. Nplate® is not used to make your platelet count normal. It is not known if Nplate® works or if it is safe in people under the age of 1.

Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for more information about Nplate® on Nplate.com.

References

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Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about Nplate®?

  • Nplate® can cause serious side effects, including:

  • Worsening of a precancerous blood condition to a blood cancer (leukemia): Nplate® is not for use in people with a precancerous condition called myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or for any condition other than immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). If you have MDS and receive Nplate®, your MDS condition may worsen and become an acute leukemia. If MDS worsens to become acute leukemia you may die sooner from the acute leukemia.

  • Higher risk for blood clots:

    • You may have a higher risk of getting a blood clot if your platelet count becomes high during treatment with Nplate®. You may have severe complications or die from some forms of blood clots, such as clots that spread to the lungs or that cause heart attacks or strokes.