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Anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody Pregnancy: Use in pregnant women is not recommended - no available data; IgG1 monoclonal antibodies cross the placenta after the first trimester. Women of childbearing potential should use effective contraception during treatment and for 7 months after cessation. Breast-feeding: unknown whether isatuximab is excreted in human milk; a risk to the breast-fed child cannot be excluded in the first few days after birth, so an individual decision is needed for that period, after which isatuximab could be used during breast-feeding if clinically needed.

Isatuximab (Specialist drug)

Brand names: Sarclisa

Isatuximab is an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody used as a specialist treatment for multiple myeloma, typically in combination with other anti-myeloma agents. It is given by intravenous infusion under haemato-oncology supervision.

Auto-extracted from the source labelling — not yet independently clinician-verified. These values were distilled from the UK SPC (or the US label where noted) but have not had a clinician sign-off. Confirm against the current SmPC before prescribing.

Adult dose

Dose: 1400 mg (subcutaneous formulation)
Route: Subcutaneous injection into the abdomen only, using the CirCLIQ On-Body Delivery System (OBDS) or a syringe and infusion set (10 mL injected over approximately 6 minutes); rotate injection sites. NOT for intravenous administration - check the vial label for the correct formulation
Frequency: With pomalidomide and dexamethasone, or with carfilzomib and dexamethasone (28-day cycles): Cycle 1 - 1400 mg weekly on days 1, 8, 15 and 22; Cycle 2 and beyond - 1400 mg every 2 weeks on days 1 and 15. Treatment is repeated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
Source: UK SPC (eMC) 4.2 for Sarclisa 1400 mg solution for injection (https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/102350/smpc). VERBATIM: 'The recommended dose of isatuximab subcutaneous is 1400 mg administered as subcutaneous injection with CirCLIQ On-Body Delivery System (OBDS) or with a syringe and infusion set for manual administration.' THIS SPC COVERS THE SUBCUTANEOUS 1400 mg FORMULATION ONLY - it does not give the posology of the intravenous formulation (section 4.8 refers to an intravenous isatuximab 10 mg/kg regimen but no IV posology is stated in section 4.2); source the IV SPC separately if the intravenous regimen is needed. Must be prescribed by a specialist in the treatment of malignancies and administered by a healthcare professional; for the first dose only, immediate access to medical support must be available. After cycle 1, subsequent injections may be given at the patient's home by a healthcare professional if there was no systemic administration reaction in the previous cycle. ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULES with bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone: newly diagnosed multiple myeloma ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant - Cycle 1 (42-day cycle) 1400 mg on days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29; cycles 2 to 4 (42-day cycles) every 2 weeks on days 1, 15 and 29; cycles 5 to 17 (28-day cycles) every 2 weeks on days 1 and 15; cycles 18 and beyond (28-day cycles) every 4 weeks on day 1. Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma eligible for ASCT (induction) - Cycle 1 (42-day cycle) 1400 mg on days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29; cycles 2 to 3 (42-day cycles) every 2 weeks on days 1, 15 and 29, then stop for intensification (high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT) followed by standard-of-care maintenance. Patients on intravenous isatuximab may switch to subcutaneous at any time once cycle 1 is completed. PREMEDICATION 15-60 minutes before each administration: dexamethasone 40 mg (20 mg for patients aged 75 years or over) when combined with pomalidomide, or dexamethasone 20 mg when combined with carfilzomib or with bortezomib and lenalidomide (this dexamethasone dose is the total dose given once, serving as both premedication and backbone treatment); montelukast 10 mg orally (or equivalent) at cycle 1 only; paracetamol/acetaminophen 650-1000 mg orally (or equivalent); diphenhydramine 25-50 mg intravenously or orally (or equivalent) - the intravenous route is preferred for at least the first 4 administrations. Premedication need may be reconsidered in patients with no systemic administration reaction after the first 4 administrations. DOSE ADJUSTMENT: dose reduction is NOT permitted; dose delay or omission may be required. Grade 2 or 3 systemic administration reaction - stop the current administration, give diphenhydramine 25 mg IV and/or methylprednisolone 100 mg IV (or equivalent) and supportive care; for grade 3 consider resuming at the next planned administration; permanently discontinue on a third grade 3 occurrence or any grade 4. Grade 2 injection site reaction - interrupt and resume after recovery to grade <=1 with pauses or slower administration; grade 3 or 4 - permanently discontinue. Missed dose: give as soon as possible and adjust the schedule, maintaining the treatment interval. NEUTROPENIA: dose delay/omission and colony-stimulating factors (e.g. G-CSF) per local guidelines. INFECTION: consider antibacterial and antiviral (e.g. herpes zoster) prophylaxis. ELDERLY: no dose adjustment. HEPATIC IMPAIRMENT: no dose adjustment in mild impairment; limited/no data in moderate/severe but no evidence that adjustment is required. PAEDIATRIC: safety and effectiveness in children below 18 years have not been established and no subcutaneous data are available, so paedDose is null; verify any under-18 use against a children's formulary and local protocol. NOTE: source SPC sections 4.4/4.8 were truncated at the fetch limit.

Dose adjustments

Renal

No dose adjustment of isatuximab is needed in patients with mild, moderate, severe or end-stage renal impairment.

Dose auto-extracted from UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) via the eMC; US FDA prescribing information (openFDA / DailyMed) — cross-check; US labelling may differ from UK — not yet clinician-verified. Always confirm against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Contraindications

  • Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients (US label: severe hypersensitivity to isatuximab or any of its excipients)

Side effects

  • Infusion-related / systemic administration reactions (27.5% across formulations; 3.1% with the subcutaneous formulation, mainly pyrexia, dyspnoea and sinus tachycardia)
  • Diarrhoea (27.2%)
  • Neutropenia (25.1%; 51% in the pomalidomide-dexamethasone pooled dataset, grade >=3 in 50.7%)
  • Upper respiratory tract infection (23%) and bronchitis
  • Pneumonia (22%) - the most frequent serious adverse reaction (16.5%) and the commonest fatal one (1.9%)
  • Fatigue (20.7%); injection site reactions (11.9% of patients, all grade <=2); thrombocytopenia; second primary malignancies

Interactions

  • Interference with serological testing - as an anti-CD38 antibody, isatuximab causes false-positive indirect antiglobulin (indirect Coombs) tests, antibody screening and identification panels and antihuman globulin crossmatches; type and screen patients before starting treatment and inform the blood bank (US label section 7.1; UK SPC 4.5 not captured in source bundle)
  • Interference with serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation assays used to monitor M-protein, which may affect determination of complete response; a specific interference-mitigating assay may be needed (US label section 7.1)
  • Combination with pomalidomide or lenalidomide is contraindicated in pregnancy - refer to those products' prescribing information and REMS/Pregnancy Prevention Programme requirements (US label section 8.1)

Clinical monograph

How it works

It binds CD38 on myeloma cells and triggers tumour cell death through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, phagocytosis and direct pro-apoptotic effects.

Prescribing in practice

  • Infusion-related reactions are common, particularly with the first infusion, so premedication and close monitoring during administration are essential.
  • Anti-CD38 antibodies interfere with blood compatibility testing, so baseline blood typing and screening should be arranged before starting.
  • Neutropenia and increased infection risk occur, and antiviral prophylaxis against herpes zoster is generally advised.

Monitoring

Monitor full blood count and for infusion reactions and infection during treatment.

Counselling the patient

  • Infusion reactions are most likely with the first dose; report flushing, breathlessness or chills to staff straight away.
  • Carry information that you are receiving an anti-CD38 antibody, as it can affect blood crossmatch results for some time.
  • Report fever or signs of infection promptly.

Evidence & guidelines

The ICARIA-MM and IKEMA trials demonstrated benefit of isatuximab-based combinations in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Reference: NICE TA658; SmPC; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. The structured dose values shown have been reviewed by a clinician. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Related

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.