Kesimpta (ofatumumab) has potential interactions with other medications and vaccines. These interactions could cause harmful effects.
Kesimpta is used in adults to treat:
- relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS)
- active secondary progressive MS
- clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), which may be an early sign of MS
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Before you start using Kesimpta, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions.
To learn whether Kesimpta interacts with herbs, vitamins, or supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Kesimpta?” section.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The following table lists drugs that may interact with Kesimpta. Keep in mind this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Kesimpta. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
|---|---|---|
| corticosteroids | • dexamethasone (Hemady) • methylprednisolone (Medrol) • prednisone (Rayos) • prednisolone (Orapred ODT, Pediapred, others) | can increase the risk of infection |
| Nrf2 activators | • dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) • diroximel fumarate (Vumerity) • monomethyl fumarate (Bafiertam) | can increase the risk of infection |
| certain other monoclonal antibodies | • anifrolumab-fnia (Saphnelo) • belimumab (Benlysta) • natalizumab (Tysabri) • ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) • sarilumab (Kevzara) • tocilizumab (Actemra) | can increase the risk of infection |
| certain S1P receptor modulators | • fingolimod (Gilenya, Tascenso ODT) • ozanimod (Zeposia) • siponimod (Mayzent) | can increase the risk of infection |
| cladribine (Mavenclad) | — | can increase the risk of infection |
| glatiramer (Copaxone, Glatopa) | — | can increase the risk of infection |
| mitoxantrone | — | can increase the risk of infection |
| teriflunomide (Aubagio) | — | can increase the risk of infection |
| peginterferon beta-1a (Plegridy) | — | can increase the risk of infection |
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Kesimpta. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Kesimpta for you. These are known as contraindications. The following list includes contraindications of Kesimpta.
If you have an active hepatitis B infection: If you have an active hepatitis B infection, your doctor isn’t likely to prescribe Kesimpta for you until the infection is treated. (An infection is active when it’s causing symptoms.) This is because the drug could lower your immune system’s ability to fight against the hepatitis B virus. Your doctor can recommend when it’s safe to start Kesimpta treatment.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction or life threatening injection reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction or life threatening injection reaction with Kesimpta, your doctor likely won’t prescribe the drug for you. This is because receiving the drug could cause another such reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.
Before you start using Kesimpta, talk with your doctor if any of the factors mentioned here apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Kesimpta is safe for you to take.
Kesimpta is not known to interact with alcohol. It’s likely safe to drink alcohol during your Kesimpta treatment.
If you have questions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Kesimpta.
Interaction with corticosteroids
Kesimpta may interact with corticosteroids, which are used for many conditions. These include MS and CIS, which Kesimpta is also used to treat.
When used on their own, both Kesimpta and corticosteroids may increase your risk of infection. Using these medications together could further raise your risk of this side effect.
Some corticosteroids that may interact with Kesimpta include:
- dexamethasone (Hemady)
- methylprednisolone (Medrol)
- prednisone (Rayos)
- prednisolone (Orapred ODT, Pediapred, others)
What you can do
If you use Kesimpta with a corticosteroid, tell your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of infection. These may include body aches, chills, or fever. Your doctor will recommend what to do if you have an infection.
If you have questions about taking Kesimpta with a corticosteroid, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with certain S1P receptor modulators
Kesimpta can interact with certain sphingosine 1‐phosphate (S1P) modulators. Like Kesimpta, this group of drugs is used to treat MS and CIS.
Kesimpta and S1P receptor modulators can both increase the risk of infection when used individually. So using these drugs together can further raise your risk of this side effect.
Examples of S1P receptor modulators that may interact with Kesimpta include:
- fingolimod (Gilenya, Tascenso ODT)
- ozanimod (Zeposia)
- siponimod (Mayzent)
What you can do
Before starting Kesimpta, tell your doctor about other medications you’re taking. They can advise if any drug you’re prescribed is an S1P receptor modulator. Your doctor may not prescribe Kesimpta with these drugs. In that case, they can recommend other treatment options that may be right for you.
If you have questions about taking Kesimpta with an S1P receptor modulator, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with teriflunomide
Kesimpta can interact with teriflunomide (Aubagio). Both drugs are used to treat MS and CIS.
Kesimpta and teriflunomides can both increase your risk of infection when you use them individually. If you use these drugs together, your risk of infection may be even higher.
What you can do
Before starting Kesimpta treatment, tell your doctor if you’re taking teriflunomide. They may not prescribe these drugs together. Your doctor can recommend which treatment option is right for you.
If you have questions about taking Kesimpta with teriflunomide, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Kesimpta may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests.
The following are additional interactions that may occur with Kesimpta. Note that this may not include all possible interactions with Kesimpta.
Does Kesimpta interact with supplements?
Before you start using Kesimpta, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs, vitamins, or supplements you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Kesimpta and herbs
There are currently no reports of Kesimpta interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Kesimpta.
Kesimpta and vitamins
There are currently no reports of Kesimpta interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that such interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Kesimpta.
Does Kesimpta interact with food?
There are currently no reports of Kesimpta interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Kesimpta, talk with your doctor.
Does Kesimpta interact with vaccines?
It may not be safe to receive vaccines during your Kesimpta treatment. Possible interactions with non-live and live vaccines are described below.
Non-live vaccines
Non-live vaccines are made from inactivated parts of the virus or bacterium they’re meant to defend against. Examples of non-live vaccines include tetanus, shingles, and the injectable flu vaccine.
A non-live vaccine may not work as well if you receive it during Kesimpta treatment.
Before starting Kesimpta treatment, talk with your doctor about any vaccines you may need. If you receive a non-live vaccine, they may advise you to wait at least 2 weeks to start Kesimpta treatment.
Live vaccines
Live vaccines are made from weakened versions of the virus or bacterium they’re meant to defend against. Examples of live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), chickenpox, and the nasal spray flu vaccine.
Getting a live vaccine during Kesimpta treatment may increase your risk of getting the infection the vaccine is meant to defend against.
Before starting Kesimpta treatment, talk with your doctor about any vaccines you may need. If you receive a live vaccine, they may advise you to wait at least 4 weeks to start Kesimpta treatment.
Does Kesimpta interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Kesimpta interacting with lab tests.
However, Kesimpta may affect the results of a skin test for tuberculosis (TB). Having this test done during your Kesimpta treatment may show that you do not have TB in your system, even if you do. Kesimpta may affect these results for up to 6 weeks after your final dose.
If you need a TB skin test during Kesimpta treatment, talk with your doctor. They may have you wait until you’re no longer receiving Kesimpta.
If you have questions about getting any lab tests done during Kesimpta treatment, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Kesimpta interact with cannabis or CBD?There are currently no reports of Kesimpta interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Kesimpta.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Kesimpta. Before using Kesimpta, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Kesimpta is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Kesimpta include:
Active infection, including hepatitis B: Before starting Kesimpta, tell your doctor if you have an infection. Treatment with Kesimpta may lead to new or worsened infections. Your doctor will likely treat the infection before you start Kesimpta treatment.
In addition, if you have a hepatitis B infection, your doctor isn’t likely to prescribe the drug until the infection is treated. For details, see the “When should I avoid Kesimpta?” section.
Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Kesimpta is safe to use during pregnancy. As a precaution, your doctor may not prescribe the drug during your pregnancy or for at least 6 months after your last dose. If you’re pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your doctor before using Kesimpta.
If you do use Kesimpta while pregnant, consider enrolling in the drug’s pregnancy registry. This registry collects details about pregnancy issues reported with Kesimpta. To learn more, call 877-311-8972 or talk with your doctor.
Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Kesimpta while breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction or life threatening injection reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction or life threatening injection reaction to Kesimpta or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe the drug. This is because using Kesimpta could cause another such reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better for you.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Kesimpta. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis
- the
list of medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs - what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Kesimpta treatment
It’s also important to understand Kesimpta’s
If you did not get paperwork with Kesimpta, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you. If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Using Kesimpta exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.