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ALEX, an MS Patient, using OCREVUS since 2019

Infusion Experience

OCREVUS is an infusion that is given every 6 months.

These infusions can be given at an infusion center, your doctor’s office, or at home, depending on what you and your doctor decide is right for you. Your first dose will be split between 2 treatments, for a total of 3 treatments your first year. Take a closer look at what you can expect.

What does an infusion appointment look like?

Hear from real people about their experiences and what to expect when you get an infusion.

How OCREVUS is given

OCREVUS is an infusion therapy—also known as IV therapy—that is given through an IV placed in your arm, administered by a healthcare professional 2 times a year. Your appointment may take 4-6 hours due to premedication before your infusion, as well as 1 hour of monitoring post-infusion.* Every dose after your first will be given as one single infusion six months apart, each lasting 2-4 hours. If you haven't had any serious infusion reactions with previous OCREVUS infusions, a shorter infusion option is available. Talk to your doctor to see if the shorter, 2-hour option may be right for you. Infusions can be given at an infusion center, your doctor’s office, or at home, depending on what you and your doctor decide is right for you.

Here’s what the infusion experience may look like:

Total appointment time for your infusion: 4-6 hours
OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) pre-infusion illustration with doctor and patient

30-60 Minutes: Pre-Infusion

  • Your healthcare team will check your vital signs, evaluate for active infections, and ask questions about your overall health
  • 30-60 minutes before your infusion, you will be given medications, such as corticosteroids, an antihistamine, and antifever medication to help reduce possible infusion-related reactions
OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) patient infusion experience illustration

2-4 Hours: During Infusion

  • You'll be seated in a supportive chair along with all of your belongings
  • Be sure to have some entertainment and snacks on hand to pass the time
  • Once you're settled, an IV infusion needle will be placed in your arm and connected to an infusion pump
  • Your infusion will last between 2 to 4 hours.* Discuss with your doctor to see if the shorter 2-hour OCREVUS infusion is an option for you
  • If an infusion reaction occurs, your healthcare team may stop or slow the rate of your infusion
  • Your healthcare team will monitor you closely from start to finish
OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) patient post-infusion experience illustration

1 Hour: Post-Infusion

  • For at least 1 hour after your OCREVUS infusion, you will be monitored for any side effects or infusion-related reactions
  • It's important to call your healthcare provider right away if you have any signs or symptoms up to 24 hours after your infusion. See side effects listed below for a list of possible infusion reactions

*The duration of an infusion could be longer if an infusion reaction occurs.

What to know before an infusion:

Keep your healthcare team informed. Become familiar with important information about your treatment. Feel comfortable throughout the infusion experience. Stay on track with OCREVUS.

Prepare yourself for a better infusion experience with a few simple steps. Download the OCREVUS Infusion Checklist to help you get ready.

Get the Checklist

Make sure you understand the possible side effects.

Infusion reactions are a common side effect of OCREVUS, which can be serious and may require you to be hospitalized. Most infusion reactions are mild to moderate, and treatable with infusion adjustments and medicines.* Post-infusion, you will be monitored for at least 1 hour for signs and symptoms of an infusion reaction. Tell your healthcare provider or nurse if you experience any reactions up to 24 hours after your infusion.

Infusion Reactions May Include
  • itchy skin
  • rash
  • hives
  • tiredness
  • coughing or wheezing
  • trouble breathing
  • throat irritation or pain
  • feeling faint
  • fever

 

 

  • redness on your face (flushing)
  • nausea
  • headache
  • swelling of the throat
  • dizziness
  • shortness of breath
  • fatigue
  • fast heart beat

 

 

*These findings were learned from relapsing MS studies (Study 1 and Study 2) and are comparable with rates seen in the PPMS study (Study 3).

Get support at every step.

Once you have been prescribed OCREVUS, you can enroll in OCREVUS CONNECTS™. One of the resources this program provides is access to your personal team of Patient Navigators. Your Patient Navigators are available to work with you throughout your OCREVUS journey and can assist you and your healthcare provider in identifying an infusion site option that works best for you.

Your first year on OCREVUS

You will receive 3 infusions administered by a trained healthcare professional. Your first dose will be split into 2 infusions, 2 weeks apart. Each infusion will last about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Your third infusion will be 6 months later and will last between 2 to 4 hours.*

OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) infusion frequency chart 1

Year 2 and beyond

You will receive 1 infusion every 6 months, each lasting between 2 to 4 hours.*

OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) infusion frequency chart 2

*The duration of an infusion could be longer if an infusion reaction occurs.

Want more support through email?

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I realize that I am lucky because I have a proactive healthcare team, but I still have to advocate for myself, and you should, too. -a quote from KATRINA, using OCREVUS since 2017
KIMBERLY, an MS patient, using OCREVUS since 2017


Ready to speak to someone about OCREVUS?

Our Patient Navigators are happy to answer all your questions, from insurance and payment options to what to expect at an infusion. We’re available Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM ET in English and Spanish.
OCREVUS CONNECTS™

What is OCREVUS?

OCREVUS is a prescription medicine used to treat:

  • Relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults
  • Primary progressive MS, in adults.

It is not known if OCREVUS is safe and effective in children.

Who should not receive OCREVUS?

Do not receive OCREVUS if you have an active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Do not receive OCREVUS if you have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to OCREVUS. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had an allergic reaction to OCREVUS or any of its ingredients in the past.

What is the most important information I should know about OCREVUS?

OCREVUS can cause serious side effects, including:

  • Infusion reactions: Infusion reactions are a common side effect of OCREVUS, which can be serious and may require you to be hospitalized. You will be monitored during your infusion and for at least 1 hour after each infusion of OCREVUS for signs and symptoms of an infusion reaction. Tell your healthcare provider or nurse if you get any of these symptoms:
    • itchy skin
    • rash
    • hives
    • tiredness
    • coughing or wheezing
    • trouble breathing
    • throat irritation or pain
    • feeling faint
    • fever
    • redness on your face (flushing)
    • nausea
    • headache
    • swelling of the throat
    • dizziness
    • shortness of breath
    • fatigue
    • fast heart beat

These infusion reactions can happen for up to 24 hours after your infusion. It is important that you call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the signs or symptoms listed above after each infusion. If you get infusion reactions, your healthcare provider may need to stop or slow down the rate of your infusion.

  • Infection:
    • OCREVUS increases your risk of getting upper respiratory tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, skin infections, and herpes infections. Infections are a common side effect, which can be serious. Tell your healthcare provider if you have an infection or have any of the following signs of infection including fever, chills, or a cough that does not go away. Signs of herpes include cold sores, shingles, genital sores, skin rash, pain, and itching. Signs of more serious herpes infection include: changes in vision, eye redness or eye pain, severe or persistent headache, stiff neck, and confusion. Signs of infection can happen during treatment or after you have received your last dose of OCREVUS. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection. Your healthcare provider should delay your treatment with OCREVUS until your infection is gone.
    • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation: Before starting treatment with OCREVUS, your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check for hepatitis B viral infection. If you have ever had hepatitis B virus infection, the hepatitis B virus may become active again during or after treatment with OCREVUS. Hepatitis B virus becoming active again (called reactivation) may cause serious liver problems including liver failure or death. Your healthcare provider will monitor you if you are at risk for hepatitis B virus reactivation during treatment and after you stop receiving OCREVUS.
    • Weakened immune system: OCREVUS taken before or after other medicines that weaken the immune system could increase your risk of getting infections.
  • Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): PML is a rare brain infection that usually leads to death or severe disability, and has been reported with OCREVUS. Symptoms of PML get worse over days to weeks. It is important that you call your healthcare provider right away if you have any new or worsening neurologic signs or symptoms that have lasted several days, including problems with:
    • thinking        
    • eyesight
    • strength
    • balance
    • weakness on 1 side of your body
    • using your arms or legs
  • Decreased immunoglobulins: OCREVUS may cause a decrease in some types of immunoglobulins. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your blood immunoglobulin levels.

Before receiving OCREVUS, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have ever taken, take, or plan to take medicines that affect your immune system, or other treatments for MS.
  • have ever had hepatitis B or are a carrier of the hepatitis B virus.
  • have a history of inflammatory bowel disease or colitis.
  • have had a recent vaccination or are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. 
    • You should receive any required ‘live’ or ‘live-attenuated’ vaccines at least 4 weeks before you start treatment with OCREVUS. You should not receive ‘live’ or ‘live attenuated’ vaccines while you are being treated with OCREVUS and until your healthcare provider tells you that your immune system is no longer weakened.
    • When possible, you should receive any ‘non-live’ vaccines at least 2 weeks before you start treatment with OCREVUS. If you would like to receive any non-live (inactivated) vaccines, including the seasonal flu vaccine, while you are being treated with OCREVUS, talk to your healthcare provider.
    • If you have a baby and you received OCREVUS during your pregnancy, it is important to tell your baby’s healthcare provider about receiving OCREVUS so they can decide when your baby should be vaccinated.
  • are pregnant, think that you might be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if OCREVUS will harm your unborn baby. You should use birth control (contraception) during treatment with OCREVUS and for 6 months after your last infusion of OCREVUS. Talk with your healthcare provider about what birth control method is right for you during this time.
    • Pregnancy Registry. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take OCREVUS during pregnancy. If you become pregnant while receiving OCREVUS, tell your healthcare provider right away. Talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the OCREVUS Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about your health and your baby’s health. Your healthcare provider can enroll you in this registry by calling 1-833-872-4370 or visiting www.ocrevuspregnancyregistry.com.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if OCREVUS passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take OCREVUS.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of OCREVUS?

OCREVUS may cause serious side effects, including:

  • Risk of cancers (malignancies) including breast cancer. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions about standard screening guidelines for breast cancer.
  • Inflammation of the colon, or colitis: Tell your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of colitis, such as:
    • Diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual
    • Stools that are black, tarry, sticky or have blood or mucus
    • Severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness

These are not all the possible side effects of OCREVUS.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.

For more information, go to www.OCREVUS.com or call 1-844-627-3887.

Please see additional Important Safety Information throughout and click here for full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

    • OCREVUS Prescribing Information. Genentech, Inc. 2016.

      OCREVUS Prescribing Information. Genentech, Inc. 2016.