Zinplava

Zinplava is a prescription medication used to prevent Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infections from coming back in adults. Zinplava belongs to a group of drugs called human monoclonal antibodies. These prevent the infection from coming back again by blocking the activity of C-diff toxin B.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional. Zinplava is administered as a single dose infusion over 60 minutes. You do not need to do anything to prepare for receiving Zinplava.

Common side effects of Zinplava include nausea, fever, and headache. Zinplava can also cause drowsiness or dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Zinplava affects you.

Zinplava is a prescription medication used to help decrease the risk of C-diff from coming back in people 18 years of age or older who are taking an antibiotic for C-diff and who have a high risk of C-diff coming back.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Merck & Co., Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with Zinplava. See the “Zinplava Precautions” section.

Common side effects on the day of or the day after receiving Zinplava include the following:

• nausea
• shortness of breath
• headache
• feeling dizzy 
• fever 
• high blood pressure 
• feeling tired

Common side effects that may happen up to four weeks after receiving Zinplava include:

• nausea
• fever
• headache

This medication can also cause infusion related reactions. These may include nausea, feeling tired, fever, dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, and high blood pressure. 

This is not a complete list of Zinplava side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No drug interactions have been determined by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with Zinplava including the following:

Heart failure (HF). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience any of the following symptoms of HF:

• sudden weight gain
• worsening shortness of breath
• increased swelling of your feet, legs, or abdomen
• needing to use more pillows to go to sleep or sleeping in a recliner
• waking from sleep to catch your breath
• a cough that does not go away
• new or increasing irregularities in your heart rate

Zinplava can cause drowsiness or dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Zinplava affects you.

Do not take Zinplava if you are allergic to Zinplava or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Zinplava, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Zinplava, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Zinplava or to any of its ingredients
• have or have had heart failure
• have heart problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. It is not known if Zinplava will harm your baby while you are pregnant. Zinplava should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed. Your doctor will determine if this medication is safe for you and your unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 

It is not known if Zinplava crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Zinplava.

Receive Zinplava exactly as prescribed.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional. You do not need to do anything to prepare for receiving Zinplava. You will receive Zinplava in 1 dose and it will take about 1 hour.

The recommended dose of Zinplava is based on your weight. It is usually injected as a single dose given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

If Zinplava is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.