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Updated 20th December 2022
Patient information on Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab)
As your health care providers, all members of the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA), (rheumatologists, nurses, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and other allied health providers), are keen to provide you with information about COVID-19. For specific questions please contact your rheumatology team.
We will aim to provide updates as new information becomes available.
• Evusheld is a medicine containing two active ingredients: tixagevimab and cilgavimab. • Evusheld can be used as a treatment or prevention for COVID-19 in at risk people (see below for more information). • Evusheld can provide 6 months of protection against COVID-19. • Evusheld is not a substitute for vaccination in individuals for whom COVID-19 vaccination is recommended.
Evusheld is an antibody that works against the COVID-19 virus, stopping it from entering cells.
Evusheld has been approved by the Australian government for:
Dose of Evusheld
Evusheld is given by a healthcare provider as two intramuscular injections, one into each buttock, you will receive 2 injections, one after the other at the same visit.
The recommended dose is 600mg of Evusheld (this will require two boxes), given as two separate injections of • 300mg of tixagevimab • 300mg of cilgavimab
For prevention: A repeat dose of 600mg of Evusheld is optional and may be given once every 6 months.
For treatment: If you test positive for COVID-19 you should receive Evusheld as soon as possible and within 7 days after the onset of symptoms.
Before you have Evusheld, please discuss further with your healthcare professional if you:
• have had a heart attack or stroke, or other heart conditions, which put you at higher risk of having cardiac (heart) events • have a bleeding disorder, low numbers of blood platelets or are taking a blood-thinning medicine (to prevent blood clots) • are taking any medicines or have any allergies to any of the ingredients in the medicine • are pregnant, breastfeeding or are planning to have a baby soon • have recently received a COVID-19 vaccine within 2 weeks or had a confirmed COVID-19 infection within 4 weeks. It is possible that Evusheld may reduce your body’s immune response to a COVID-19 vaccine.
Serious side effects are uncommon with Evusheld, and you may not get any side effects when receiving Evusheld. Common side effects include: • headache • fatigue (tiredness) • pain, redness, itching or rash at the injection site. Tell your healthcare professional straight away if you notice any signs of rare but serious allergic reaction, such as: • difficulty breathing or swallowing • swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat • severe itching of the skin, with a red rash or raised bumps.
Evusheld is a prescription only medicine, so it is only available with a prescription from an authorised prescriber. For more information, please contact your rheumatologist or other health care provider.