If you or a loved one has an autoimmune disorder, your doctor may recommend ENTYVIO® infusion therapy to manage or reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases.
What exactly is ENTYVIO, and how can it help? Let’s look at the conditions ENTYVIO treats and what to expect during ENTYVIO infusion.
Why ENTYVIO Infusion?
Sometimes oral medication isn’t enough to manage autoimmune symptoms. In these cases, ENTYVIO infusion is a common treatment for adults with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
Adults with inflammatory bowel disease may experience life altering physical symptoms. Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis include:
For many PACT Infusion Center patients, ENTYVIO infusions have helped to reduce or eliminate the painful, unpleasant symptoms that accompany an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disorder.
How Does ENTYVIO Infusion Work?
Rather than suppressing your immune system, ENTYVIO works with it to redirect cells that cause inflammation and pain in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Here’s how:
ENTYVIO contains the active drug vedolizumab, a biologic medication designed to reduce or manage autoimmune symptoms. Vedolizumab works by blocking a specific protein— “integrin alpha-4-beta-7” — from interacting with another molecule called mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1). This controls the movement of inflammatory white blood cells into the gut, reducing inflammation in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. When inflammation is reduced, symptoms often improve.
ENTYVIO is administered intravenously, which means it’s inserted directly into the vein via an intravenous catheter (IV). This enables the drug to work faster and more directly into the bloodstream.
How ENTYVIO Measured in Clinical Trials
Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
- At week 6, 47 percent of patients on ENTYVIO achieved clinical response compared to 26 percent in the placebo group
- At 1 year, 42 percent of patients achieved remission compared to 16 percent of patients on placebo
Patients with Crohn’s Disease
- At week 6, 15 percent of patients achieved remission compared to 7 percent within the placebo group
- At 1 year, nearly 40 percent of patients with Crohn’s Disease achieved remission compared to 22 percent of patients on placebo
How is ENTYVIO Administered?
A qualified healthcare professional administers ENTYVIO through an IV, typically through a vein in the arm. While IV insertion may feel uncomfortable to some patients, infusions do not hurt to receive. Patients are encouraged to rest, read, or watch TV in comfortable, reclining chairs during their infusion while medical staff and equipment monitor the infusion therapy.
Patients beginning ENTYVIO infusion therapy receive three initial infusions over a 6-week period. After initial infusions, patients receive a maintenance ENTYVIO infusion once every 8 weeks.
How Do You Feel After ENTYVIO Infusion?
With any medication, side effects are possible. While some patients have minimal side effects, others report feeling tired or having a headache following infusion. Side effects from ENTYVIO infusion can range from mild to severe.
Common, mild side effects of ENTYVIO include:
- Back Pain
- Cold, bronchitis, and other types of upper respiratory infections
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Flu
- Headache
- Joint Pain
- Nausea
- Rash or Itchiness
- Runny Nose
Less commonly, patients experience serious side effects such as an allergic reaction to the infusion, liver problems, or certain types of infections.
Browse the ENTYVIO Medication Guide for a full list of side effects reported in clinical trials.
Be sure to tell your doctor of all side effects you experience after ENTYVIO infusion. If you develop serious side effects such as shortness of breath, dizziness, rash, swelling, or itchiness following treatment, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
With more than 20 years of experience in infusing biologics, our onsite physicians, RNs, and other staff members are trained in monitoring infusion side effects and responding appropriately.
How Long Does ENTYVIO Infusion Take?
For each treatment, you’ll receive your dose over a 30 minute time period. Your PACT care team will monitor you during the length of your infusion and for a brief time after to ensure your body responds well to the medication.
Schedule Your ENTYVIO Infusion at PACT Infusion Center
If your doctor believes ENTYVIO is right for you, we’re here to make your infusion experience as simple as possible. At PACT Infusion Center, you’ll receive access to:
- Free onsite parking
- Physicians onsite at all times
- WiFi internet
- Netflix and television service
- On-site laboratory for routine blood tests
- Comfortable, fully reclining chairs in a standalone facility
Our center is open Monday through Friday and accepts all major insurances, including full Medicare and Medicaid participation. We coordinate closely with referring providers.
For more information or to schedule an appointment at PACT Infusion Center, call (203) 281-5114. We look forward to serving all your infusion needs.
Founded on innovation and a patient-first mindset, PACT Gastroenterology Center offers state-of-the-art medical care in a warm and caring environment. Learn more about our new, state-of-the-art infusion center and its comfortable features.
Learn More About PACT
Physicians Alliance of Connecticut (PACT) is a multi-specialty medical group led and operated by over 30 physician partners and more than 100 healthcare providers. We are committed to healthcare excellence, innovation, safety, and quality in private-practice patient care in the New Haven area of Connecticut.