Acute attacks
Sudden attacks of hereditary angioedema.
Clinical trials
Studies that evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical devices before they are approved for use by the general public.
Ecallantide (e-KAL-lan-tide)
A protein made in yeast cells; ecallantide is the active ingredient in KALBITOR (ecallantide).
HAE
Abbreviation for hereditary angioedema.
Hereditary Angioedema
A rare, hereditary disease of the immune system that causes attacks of sudden swelling in various parts of the body.
KALBITOR Access®
KALBITOR Access is a program that provides support services to hereditary angioedema patients, healthcare professionals and caregivers. KALBITOR Access services include health insurance coordination, financial assistance for qualified patients, and treatment location set up.
KALBITOR CareSM
KALBITOR Care is a program offered by Dyax Corp. that provides comprehensive support services for KALBITOR patients. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, KALBITOR Care offers a complete array of patient services and resources, along with the support of healthcare professionals.
KALBITOR Home Infusion ServicesSM
KALBITOR Home Infusion Services is a program in which an experienced infusion nurse will administer your subcutaneous KALBITOR treatment in the comfort of your own home. This professional service is available to HAE patients, 16 years of age or older, who use KALBITOR to treat their sudden HAE attacks on demand. KALBITOR Home Infusion Services is not appropriate for treating laryngeal attacks.
KALBITOR® (KAL-bit-or)
A prescription medicine used to treat sudden attacks of hereditary angioedema in patients 16 years of age and older. KALBITOR® is not a cure for HAE.
Laryngeal attack
An HAE attack that affects the larynx (throat); this can block or close the airway, leading to difficulty breathing and, potentially, death.
Larynx
The part of the throat that contains the vocal cords and is used for breathing, swallowing, and talking.
On-demand treatment
On-demand HAE treatment is used to treat sudden attacks of HAE as they occur, in order to relieve symptoms associated with the attack. On-demand treatment is not used to prevent attacks from occurring.
Plasma kallikrein (kal'i-kre'in)
A protein in the body that triggers the release of a substance that may lead to hereditary angioedema attack symptoms.
Subcutaneous
Under the skin.
Trigger
In hereditary angioedema, something that causes an attack.
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Should I just wait this attack out?

That was my first question. Now I know that I have KALBITOR® (ecallantide), an on-demand treatment for my sudden HAE attacks, available to me with the help of KALBITOR CareSM.

Please see Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide.

Joan's Story

Results from treatment with KALBITOR may vary. Talk to your doctor to find out if KALBITOR is right for you. Make sure to read KALBITOR Important Safety Information regarding serious allergic reactions and review the Medication Guide before getting treatment with KALBITOR.

"I don't always have swelling in my neck - it happens in every part of my body."

For Joan, a week and a half made all the difference.

Just 10 days or so after her local hospital stocked its first supply of KALBITOR for her, she awoke on a Saturday morning with an attack of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Unlike most of her other attacks, this time she felt the swelling in the front of her throat and knew it was an emergency.

"I couldn't swallow," she recalls. "I was so scared. I threw on my clothes and raced to the hospital 10 minutes away. Thank goodness we made sure that KALBITOR was stocked there for me. In just a few hours I was back home. I just sat down and cried because I was so happy."

Joan has had HAE attacks since age 7. Her family has plenty of experience with the disease as well: her father, aunt, and three of her brothers and sisters have it.

Sometimes Joan experiences HAE attacks as often as every other week. Two severe attacks affecting her larynx led to two tracheotomies, which are surgical incisions through her neck and into her windpipe to open a breathing hole. The surgeries left her windpipe so narrowed from scar tissue that it's only about the width of a straw.

Because KALBITOR has been effective for her, Joan is now considering using on-demand treatment with KALBITOR for her sudden HAE attacks in other locations. "I don't always have swelling in my neck—it happens in every part of my body," she says. "When I've had swelling in my feet, I've just had to deal with it. Now I know I can go to the hospital and get treatment for my acute HAE attacks with KALBITOR shots. I'll never be able to thank Dyax enough for this."

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KALBITOR is a prescription medicine used to treat sudden attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in patients 16 years of age and older. KALBITOR is not a cure for HAE.
Important Safety Information EXPAND ›

KALBITOR® (ecallantide) for subcutaneous use should only be given by a doctor or nurse with appropriate medical support to treat serious allergic reactions and your hereditary angioedema. You should read the Medication Guide before you start receiving KALBITOR and before each treatment.

Serious allergic reactions may happen in some people who receive KALBITOR. These allergic reactions can be life-threatening and usually happen within 1 hour after receiving KALBITOR.

Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction to KALBITOR can be similar to the symptoms of hereditary angioedema, the condition that you are being treated for. Your doctor or nurse should watch you for any signs of a serious allergic reaction after treatment with KALBITOR. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms of a serious allergic reaction during or after treatment with KALBITOR:

  • wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, or trouble breathing
  • dizziness, fainting, fast or weak heartbeat, or feeling nervous
  • reddening of the face, itching, hives, or feeling warm
  • swelling of the throat or tongue, throat tightness, hoarse voice, or trouble swallowing
  • runny nose or sneezing

Do not receive KALBITOR if you are allergic to KALBITOR. Before receiving KALBITOR, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to KALBITOR.

Before receiving KALBITOR, tell your doctor about all of your health conditions, including any allergies you may have, whether you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast feeding or plan to breast feed. It is not known if KALBITOR will harm your unborn baby or if KALBITOR passes into your breast milk.

Common side effects of KALBITOR include headache, nausea, diarrhea, fever, injection site reactions, such as redness, rash, swelling, itching, or bruising, and stuffy nose.

Talk to your doctor for more information and if you have any questions about your treatment.

Please see Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.