Committed to Helping You Get Your Medicine

Knowing what to expect can make all the difference. We can help walk you through each step of getting RITUXAN HYCELA and assist you along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Genentech BioOncology® Access Solutions

Genentech BioOncology Access Solutions is a resource for people who take RITUXAN HYCELA. We connect you to the medicine you need.

I Am Concerned About Paying for RITUXAN HYCELA

There may be options to help you get the RITUXAN HYCELA your doctor has prescribed. Genentech BioOncology Access Solutions can refer you to patient assistance options.

Getting My Medicine

You can’t get RITUXAN HYCELA from your local pharmacy. Instead, it will come to you from a specialty pharmacy.

Your specialty pharmacy is different from your regular mail-order pharmacy. It handles drugs like RITUXAN HYCELA.

When we check your coverage, we also refer you to a specialty pharmacy your health insurance plan will cover.

You might not be able to get RITUXAN HYCELA right away. First, your doctor’s office or specialty pharmacy will have to check to make sure your health insurance plan covers your medicine. This is called a “benefits investigation.” They also might have to send some more information before your plan covers your medicine. This is called a “prior authorization.”

Enrolling in Genentech BioOncology Access Solutions

  1. You fill out a form called the PAN.
  2. Your doctor fills out a form called the SMN. You do not have to fill out anything on this form.
  3. Your doctor sends both of these forms to Genentech BioOncology Access Solutions.

There are 2 ways to fill out the PAN form:

  • You can fill out the form online 
  • You can download and print it to fill out a paper copy

The PAN form lets us discuss your health information with your doctor and your health insurance plan. We can’t work with you without a signed PAN.

You do not need to do anything else, but your doctor does. He or she needs to submit a form called the SMN. The SMN tells us your doctor wants to treat you with RITUXAN HYCELA. Make sure your doctor has sent us the SMN so you get help from us.

You do not need to fill out anything on the SMN form.

My Health Plan Denied Coverage for RITUXAN HYCELA

If your health insurance plan will not cover RITUXAN HYCELA, you and your doctor’s office can file an appeal. Contact your doctor to find out if filing an appeal is right for you.

We have resources to help you and your doctor file an appeal.

We have resources to help you and your doctor file an appeal. You or your doctor’s office has to file the appeal directly with your health insurance plan.

This depends on your health insurance plan. You should ask your plan directly about its process. Sometimes the appeals process is quick. However, it can also take several months if you have to appeal several times.

My Insurance Might Change

If your insurance changes while you’re taking RITUXAN HYCELA, call us. We can help you understand your new coverage.

GATCF helps people who don't have health insurance. It also helps people who have health insurance but have trouble paying for RITUXAN HYCELA. If you qualify for GATCF, you could receive your medicine for free.

It is your and your doctor's responsibility to complete and submit all required paperwork to your health insurance plan. Genentech and Biogen cannot guarantee your plan will cover any treatments.

PAN=Patient Authorization and Notice of Request for Transmission of Health Information to Genentech Access Solutions and Genentech® Access to Care Foundation.

SMN=Statement of Medical Necessity.

Important Safety Information & Indication

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What it Treats

RITUXAN HYCELA™ (rituximab/hyaluronidase human) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:

  • Follicular Lymphoma (FL) as a single-agent therapy in patients whose disease recurred or did not respond to initial treatment
  • Follicular Lymphoma as an initial treatment with chemotherapy and, in patients whose initial treatment was successful, as a single-agent follow-up therapy
  • Follicular Lymphoma as a single agent follow-up therapy for patients who did not progress on initial treatment with CVP chemotherapy
  • Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) as an initial treatment in combination with CHOP or other anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in combination with FC chemotherapy as an initial treatment or as a treatment after disease has recurred

Patients can only receive RITUXAN HYCELA after at least one full dose of intravenous (IV) RITUXAN® (rituximab). Read the IV Rituxan Medication Guide for more information about severe infusion reactions, which usually happen during the first dose with IV Rituxan.

RITUXAN HYCELA is not for use to treat medical conditions other than cancers.

It is not known if RITUXAN HYCELA is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information

RITUXAN HYCELA can cause serious side effects that can lead to death, including:

  • Severe skin and mouth reactions: Patients must tell their healthcare provider or get medical help right away if they get any of these symptoms at any time during treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA: painful sores or ulcers on the skin, lips, or in the mouth; blisters; peeling skin; rash or pustules.
  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation: Before a patient receives RITUXAN HYCELA, the patient’s doctor will do blood tests to check for HBV infection. If the patient has had hepatitis B or is a carrier of hepatitis B virus, receiving RITUXAN HYCELA could cause the virus to become an active infection again. Hepatitis B reactivation may cause serious liver problems including liver failure and death. The patient’s healthcare provider will monitor for hepatitis B infection during and for several months after the patient stops receiving RITUXAN HYCELA. Patients must tell their healthcare provider right away if they get worsening tiredness, or yellowing of the skin or white part of the eyes during treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA.
  • Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): PML is a rare, serious brain infection caused by a virus that can happen in people who receive RITUXAN HYCELA. People with weakened immune systems can get PML. PML can result in death or severe disability. There is no known treatment, prevention, or cure for PML. Patients must tell their healthcare provider right away if they have any new or worsening symptoms or if anyone close to them notices these symptoms: confusion; dizziness or loss of balance; difficulty walking or talking; decreased strength or weakness on one side of the body; vision problems, such as blurred or loss of vision.
  • Serious allergic reactions and other severe reactions:
    Serious allergic reactions, and reactions due to release of certain substances by the body that can lead to death, can happen with rituximab products, including RITUXAN HYCELA.
    Skin reactions at or near the injection site (local), including injection site reactions can happen with RITUXAN HYCELA.     Symptoms at or near the injection site may include: pain, swelling, hardness, redness, bleeding, itching, and rash. These reactions sometimes happen more than 24 hours after an injection of RITUXAN HYCELA.
    Patients must tell their healthcare provider or get medical help right away if they get any of these symptoms during or after an injection of RITUXAN HYCELA: hives (red itchy welts) or rash; itching; swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, or face; sudden cough; shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or wheezing; weakness; dizziness or feeling faint; palpitations (feeling the heart is racing or fluttering); chest pain; fever; chills or shaking chills.

What are possible side effects of RITUXAN HYCELA?

RITUXAN HYCELA can cause serious side effects, including:

  • Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS): TLS is caused by the fast breakdown of cancer cells. TLS can cause the patient to have kidney failure, the need for dialysis treatment, and an abnormal heart rhythm. TLS can happen within 12 to 24 hours after an injection of RITUXAN HYCELA. The patient’s healthcare provider may do blood tests to check for TLS. The patient’s healthcare provider may give medicine to help prevent TLS. Patients must tell their healthcare provider right away if they have any of the following signs or symptoms of TLS: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or lack of energy.
  • Serious Infections: Serious infections can happen during and after treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA and can lead to death. Rituximab products can increase the risk of getting infections and can lower the ability of the immune system to fight infections. Types of serious infections that can happen with RITUXAN HYCELA include bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. After receiving RITUXAN HYCELA, some people have developed low levels of certain antibodies in their blood for a long period of time (longer than 11 months). Some of these people with low antibody levels developed infections. Patients must tell their healthcare provider right away if they have any symptoms of infection: fever; cold symptoms, such as runny nose or sore throat that do not go away; flu symptoms, such as cough, tiredness, and body aches; earache or headache; pain during urination; white patches in the mouth or throat; cuts, scrapes, or incisions that are red, warm, swollen, or painful.
  • Heart Problems: RITUXAN HYCELA may cause chest pain, irregular heartbeats, and heart attack. The patient’s healthcare provider may monitor the patient’s heart during and after treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA if they have symptoms of heart problems or have a history of heart problems. Patients must tell their healthcare provider right away if they have chest pain or irregular heartbeats during treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA.
  • Kidney Problems: RITUXAN HYCELA can cause severe kidney problems that can lead to death. The patient’s healthcare provider should do blood tests to check how well the patient’s kidneys are working.
  • Stomach and serious bowel problems that can sometimes lead to death: Bowel problems, including blockage or tears in the bowel, can happen if the patient receives RITUXAN HYCELA with chemotherapy medicines. Patients must tell their healthcare provider right away if they have severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or repeated vomiting during treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA.

The patient’s healthcare provider will stop treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA if the patient has severe, serious, or life-threatening side effects.

The most common side effects of RITUXAN HYCELA in people with:

  • FL: infections, low white blood cell count, nausea, constipation, cough, and tiredness.
  • DLBCL: infections, low white blood cell count, loss of hair, nausea, and low red blood cell count.
  • CLL: infections, low white blood cell count, nausea, low platelet count, fever, vomiting, and injection site redness.

Additional Important Safety Information

Before receiving RITUXAN HYCELA, patients must tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they:

  • Have had a severe reaction to a rituximab product or RITUXAN HYCELA.
  • Have had a recent vaccination or are scheduled to receive vaccinations. Patients should not receive certain vaccines before or during treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA.
  • Are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, are breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about the risks to their unborn baby if they receive RITUXAN HYCELA during pregnancy. Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with RITUXAN HYCELA and for 12 months after the last dose of RITUXAN HYCELA. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about effective birth control. It is not known if RITUXAN HYCELA passes into the patient’s breast milk. Patients must not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 6 months after receiving their last dose of RITUXAN HYCELA.

These are not all of the possible side effects with RITUXAN HYCELA. Patients should call their doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNINGS and Medication Guide, for additional Important Safety Information.

Report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835- 2555.