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For assistance, please call 1-833-ROCTAVIAN (1-833-762-8284)

Frequently asked questions

Rare diseases can bring uncommon challenges, and everyone’s treatment journey is unique
With BioMarin RareConnections™, you don’t have to face it alone. Your BioMarin team will guide you along your treatment journey, working one-to-one with you to address your unique needs to gain access to treatment. Below are some common questions and answers that might be helpful for you.

About BioMarin RareConnections

BioMarin RareConnections is a program that provides a wide array of support services for BioMarin products to help you understand insurance coverage and gain access to treatment. This may include providing information about financial assistance options and working with your healthcare team to coordinate delivery of BioMarin products for your treatment.
Our dedicated and experienced Case Managers will provide guidance on how you can gain access to BioMarin therapies by:
  • Helping you understand your insurance coverage and financial assistance options
  • Providing you with ongoing product support for BioMarin therapies
  • Coordinating with a specialty pharmacy to deliver your medication at a date and time that is convenient for you
Once you enroll in BioMarin RareConnections, you will be assigned a dedicated experienced Case Manager who understands your unique needs related to treatment. Your Case Manager can help you determine your insurance coverage and, if necessary, identify financial assistance options for your BioMarin treatment.
To enroll in BioMarin RareConnections and get connected with your Case Manager, start by completing the Patient Consent Form.
In order for BioMarin to provide product support services, you will need to provide consent to both your healthcare provider and BioMarin:
  • Your healthcare provider needs your written consent to release your protected health information (PHI) to BioMarin
  • BioMarin also needs your written consent to share your information (including genetic testing information) with other providers to assist you with accessing services that support your treatment
Once you give consent, your healthcare provider will provide BioMarin with the information from your medical records needed to enroll you in BioMarin RareConnections. BioMarin RareConnections will help you work with your insurance provider to seek reimbursement for your care and will help you with other case management services.
A patient or an authorized representative for the patient must sign the authorization form.
If you choose not to sign the authorization form, BioMarin will not be able to provide BioMarin RareConnections support in connection with any BioMarin treatment.
BioMarin will use your protected health information (PHI) to enroll you in BioMarin RareConnections, which provides a number of case management services that help support your treatment plan (for example, insurance navigation support). BioMarin RareConnections will work with you, your healthcare provider, and your health insurance company to help with coverage related to your treatment. If you do not already have insurance coverage, BioMarin RareConnections can help you find insurance options.
The Patient Consent Form is valid from the date of signature for 10 years, or a shorter time if required by applicable state law, or until you cancel the authorization.
You can cancel the authorization at any time by submitting a written notification to BioMarin RareConnections.
Connect with a Case Manager by email or call 1-866-906-6100. Once you have been enrolled in BioMarin RareConnections, your dedicated Case Manager will also reach out to you with an introduction and will provide you with their direct contact info. Your Case Manager will be an ongoing resource, providing product support services to help you start and continue on treatment.

Indication and Important Safety Information

What is ROCTAVIAN?

ROCTAVIAN is a one-time gene therapy used for the treatment of adults with severe hemophilia A who do not have antibodies to the virus, AAV5 which is determined by a blood test. ROCTAVIAN uses a modified virus, called a vector, to deliver a working copy of the Factor VIII gene to liver cells to enable your body to produce clotting factor on its own, which helps the blood to clot and prevents or reduces the occurrence of bleeding. The modified virus does not contain viral DNA and does not cause disease in humans.

Do not take ROCTAVIAN if you:
  • Have an active infection or if you have a long-term infection that is not controlled by the medicines you take
  • Have scarring of the liver (significant liver fibrosis or cirrhosis)
  • Are allergic to mannitol (an inactive ingredient in ROCTAVIAN)
What is the most important information I should know about ROCTAVIAN?

ROCTAVIAN may cause serious side effects during the infusion and afterward:

  • During and in the hours following the infusion, tell your doctor or nurse immediately about any symptoms you experience, including hives or other rashes, itching, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, runny nose, watery eyes, tingling throat, nausea (feeling sick), diarrhea, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, light-headedness (near-fainting), fever, chills, or shivering. Talk to your doctor about what to do if you experience any side effects after you leave the infusion
  • Before and regularly following administration of ROCTAVIAN, your doctor will perform blood tests to check your liver health. Make sure you obtain these blood tests during the specified time your doctor instructs you to. Based on your liver test results, you may need to take corticosteroids or another medicine for a period of time (several months or longer) to help decrease liver enzyme levels, which may cause side effects while you receive them. Talk to your doctor about these side effects and what you need to do to improve and maintain your liver’s health
  • Patients with active Factor VIII inhibitors should not take ROCTAVIAN. Following administration your doctor will monitor you for inhibitors and you will have regular factor level testing. Talk to your doctor if you start bleeding following ROCTAVIAN, in order for your doctor to assess the need for additional tests or treatments
  • Depending on your risk factors, an improvement in Factor VIII levels may mean an increased possibility of unwanted blood clots (so called “thromboses,” in either veins or arteries). You and your doctor should discuss your risk factors before and after treatment and how to recognize symptoms of unwanted clots and what to do if you think you may have one
  • ROCTAVIAN can insert itself into the DNA of human body cells. The effect that insertion may have on those cells is unknown, but such events may contribute to a theoretical risk of cancer. There have been no reported cases of cancer caused by treatment with ROCTAVIAN. Your doctor may perform regular monitoring if you have pre-existing risk factors for developing liver cancer. In the event of cancer, your doctor may send a sample to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. for further testing
What should I tell my doctor before I get ROCTAVIAN?

Talk to your doctor about the following:

  • Your medical conditions including:
    • Any general risk factors for unwanted blood clots and for cardiovascular disease
    • If your immune system’s ability to fight infections is reduced
    • If you have inhibitors or a history of inhibitors to Factor VIII
  • All medicines you take or new medicines you plan to take, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, herbal supplements, and vaccines
  • If you have a female partner that plans to become pregnant within 6 months of treatment
What should I avoid after taking ROCTAVIAN?
  • Avoid alcohol use for the first year. Talk to your doctor about how much alcohol may be acceptable after the first year
  • You and any female partner must prevent becoming pregnant for 6 months. Discuss with your doctor which methods of contraception are suitable
  • Do not donate semen for at least 6 months after treatment
  • Do not donate blood, organs, tissues, or cells
What are the possible side effects of ROCTAVIAN?
  • The most common side effects of ROCTAVIAN are:
    • Nausea, fatigue, headache, infusion-related reactions, vomiting, and abdominal pain
    • Changes to laboratory results from blood tests that measure your liver health and other ways your body is responding to ROCTAVIAN
What other information should I know before getting ROCTAVIAN?
  • Receiving gene therapy again in the future: ROCTAVIAN is a one-time treatment. Currently, treatment with ROCTAVIAN means you cannot receive another gene therapy for hemophilia
  • Hemophilia treatment registry: After treatment with ROCTAVIAN, you will be asked to enroll in a 15-year registry to help study the long-term safety of the treatment and how well it continues to work
  • Understanding the risks and benefits of ROCTAVIAN: While the majority of patients experience a benefit from ROCTAVIAN, the treatment response and duration may vary. Some patients do not experience a benefit from ROCTAVIAN. It is not possible to predict if and how much a patient may benefit. After administration, your doctor will monitor your lab tests and talk to you about whether you can stop prophylaxis, whether you should start prophylaxis again, and whether and how you should treat any surgeries, procedures, injuries, or bleeds

Talk to your doctor about the potential risks and benefits of ROCTAVIAN. Whether a patient experiences a benefit or not, the risks discussed here and with your doctor still apply.

These are not all the possible side effects of ROCTAVIAN. Talk to your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. at 1-866-906-6100 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see additional safety information in the Prescribing Information and Patient Information.

Indication and Important Safety Information

What is ROCTAVIAN?

ROCTAVIAN is a one-time gene therapy used for the treatment of adults with severe hemophilia A who do not have antibodies to the virus, AAV5 which is determined by a blood test. ROCTAVIAN uses a modified virus, called a vector, to deliver a working copy of the Factor VIII gene to liver cells to enable your body to produce clotting factor on its own, which helps the blood to clot and prevents or reduces the occurrence of bleeding. The modified virus does not contain viral DNA and does not cause disease in humans.

Do not take ROCTAVIAN if you:
  • Have an active infection or if you have a long-term infection that is not controlled by the medicines you take
  • Have scarring of the liver (significant liver fibrosis or cirrhosis)
  • Are allergic to mannitol (an inactive ingredient in ROCTAVIAN)
What is the most important information I should know about ROCTAVIAN?

ROCTAVIAN may cause serious side effects during the infusion and afterward:

  • During and in the hours following the infusion, tell your doctor or nurse immediately about any symptoms you experience, including hives or other rashes, itching, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, runny nose, watery eyes, tingling throat, nausea (feeling sick), diarrhea, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, light-headedness (near-fainting), fever, chills, or shivering. Talk to your doctor about what to do if you experience any side effects after you leave the infusion
  • Before and regularly following administration of ROCTAVIAN, your doctor will perform blood tests to check your liver health. Make sure you obtain these blood tests during the specified time your doctor instructs you to. Based on your liver test results, you may need to take corticosteroids or another medicine for a period of time (several months or longer) to help decrease liver enzyme levels, which may cause side effects while you receive them. Talk to your doctor about these side effects and what you need to do to improve and maintain your liver’s health
  • Patients with active Factor VIII inhibitors should not take ROCTAVIAN. Following administration your doctor will monitor you for inhibitors and you will have regular factor level testing. Talk to your doctor if you start bleeding following ROCTAVIAN, in order for your doctor to assess the need for additional tests or treatments
  • Depending on your risk factors, an improvement in Factor VIII levels may mean an increased possibility of unwanted blood clots (so called “thromboses,” in either veins or arteries). You and your doctor should discuss your risk factors before and after treatment and how to recognize symptoms of unwanted clots and what to do if you think you may have one
  • ROCTAVIAN can insert itself into the DNA of human body cells. The effect that insertion may have on those cells is unknown, but such events may contribute to a theoretical risk of cancer. There have been no reported cases of cancer caused by treatment with ROCTAVIAN. Your doctor may perform regular monitoring if you have pre-existing risk factors for developing liver cancer. In the event of cancer, your doctor may send a sample to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. for further testing
What should I tell my doctor before I get ROCTAVIAN?

Talk to your doctor about the following:

  • Your medical conditions including:
    • Any general risk factors for unwanted blood clots and for cardiovascular disease
    • If your immune system’s ability to fight infections is reduced
    • If you have inhibitors or a history of inhibitors to Factor VIII
  • All medicines you take or new medicines you plan to take, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, herbal supplements, and vaccines
  • If you have a female partner that plans to become pregnant within 6 months of treatment
What should I avoid after taking ROCTAVIAN?
  • Avoid alcohol use for the first year. Talk to your doctor about how much alcohol may be acceptable after the first year
  • You and any female partner must prevent becoming pregnant for 6 months. Discuss with your doctor which methods of contraception are suitable
  • Do not donate semen for at least 6 months after treatment
  • Do not donate blood, organs, tissues, or cells
What are the possible side effects of ROCTAVIAN?
  • The most common side effects of ROCTAVIAN are:
    • Nausea, fatigue, headache, infusion-related reactions, vomiting, and abdominal pain
    • Changes to laboratory results from blood tests that measure your liver health and other ways your body is responding to ROCTAVIAN
What other information should I know before getting ROCTAVIAN?
  • Receiving gene therapy again in the future: ROCTAVIAN is a one-time treatment. Currently, treatment with ROCTAVIAN means you cannot receive another gene therapy for hemophilia
  • Hemophilia treatment registry: After treatment with ROCTAVIAN, you will be asked to enroll in a 15-year registry to help study the long-term safety of the treatment and how well it continues to work
  • Understanding the risks and benefits of ROCTAVIAN: While the majority of patients experience a benefit from ROCTAVIAN, the treatment response and duration may vary. Some patients do not experience a benefit from ROCTAVIAN. It is not possible to predict if and how much a patient may benefit. After administration, your doctor will monitor your lab tests and talk to you about whether you can stop prophylaxis, whether you should start prophylaxis again, and whether and how you should treat any surgeries, procedures, injuries, or bleeds

Talk to your doctor about the potential risks and benefits of ROCTAVIAN. Whether a patient experiences a benefit or not, the risks discussed here and with your doctor still apply.

These are not all the possible side effects of ROCTAVIAN. Talk to your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. at 1-866-906-6100 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see additional safety information in the Prescribing Information and Patient Information.