The prescribed dosage for Gazyva (obinutuzumab) may vary depending on your cancer diagnosis. Other factors, including your individual treatment plan and medical history, may affect your dosage of Gazyva.

Gazyva (obinutuzumab) is a brand-name prescription intravenous (IV) infusion. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved this infusion to treat certain forms of cancer in adults. Specifically, Gazyva is used to treat:

  • chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that hasn’t been treated before
  • follicular lymphoma (FL) that’s been treated with another medication called rituximab (Rituxan) and the cancer has relapsed (come back or worsened after treatment) or is refractory (hasn’t responded to treatment)
  • certain forms of FL that haven’t been treated before

Gazyva is a biologic drug belonging to a group of medications, or drug class, called CD20-directed cytolytic antibodies. Currently, there’s no biosimilar form of Gazyva.

For information about Gazyva dosing and administration, keep reading. See this other article for a comprehensive look at Gazyva.

Gazyva dosage depends on many factors, including what condition you have, what cycle of chemotherapy you’re in, and other medical conditions that you may have. Your doctor will be able to recommend the best dosage of Gazyva for you.

Gazyva form

Gazyva is a solution that comes in a single-dose vial. It’s given as an IV infusion by your doctor or another healthcare professional. You’ll receive your dose of Gazyva at your doctor’s office, a hospital, or an infusion center.

Gazyva strength

Gazyva comes in one strength: 1,000 milligrams (mg) of Gazyva per 40 milliliters (mL) of solution.

Typical dosages

Your doctor will typically prescribe you the recommended dosage of Gazyva. Then, they may adjust it over time to reach the amount that’s right for you. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect.

The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. Your doctor will determine the best Gazyva dose to fit your needs.

Dosage for CLL

Gazyva is given in 28-day cycles for CLL. In your first cycle, you’ll receive loading doses. This means that you’ll get more medication at the start of your treatment so that the drug can begin to work. You’ll receive a dose of Gazyva on days 1, 2, 8, and 15 of your first cycle. Below is the Gazyva dosing schedule for the first cycle of treatment:

  • Day 1: 100 mg
  • Day 2: 900 mg
  • Day 8: 1,000 mg
  • Day 15: 1,000 mg

Your dose of Gazyva on day 1 of your first cycle may also be called your “test dose.” This small dose is given as an IV infusion slowly over 4 hours to ensure that you won’t have any infusion-related reactions from the medication.

After your first dose of Gazyva, your doctor can help determine how long your future infusions will take. If you have any reactions to your first dose of medication, they may recommend a slower infusion rate in the future so that your body can get used to Gazyva. In most cases, there won’t be any dose changes. However, your doctor may choose to slow down your infusion to decrease your risk of side effects from Gazyva.

Your doctor may recommend you receive Gazyva for a total of 6 cycles. However, after your first cycle, you’ll only need one 1,000-mg dose of Gazyva on day 1 of each new cycle.

Dosage for relapsed or refractory FL

To treat FL that has relapsed or is refractory, Gazyva is given with another medication called bendamustine (Treanda). This treatment is only used if you’ve already tried another medication called rituximab (Rituxan) and your FL has come back or worsened.

For this use, Gazyva is given in 28-day cycles, and you’ll receive a 1,000-mg dose on days 1, 8, and 15 of your first cycle.

Your doctor may recommend Gazyva treatment for a total of 6 cycles. You’ll receive bendamustine with the first 6 cycles of Gazyva treatment. For cycle 2 and onward, your Gazyva dosage will only be 1,000 mg on day 1.

After 6 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has responded to treatment or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva for up to 2 years. At this point, your doctor will recommend that you stop taking bendamustine. You’ll receive a 1,000-mg dose of Gazyva once every 2 months.

Dosage for untreated FL

For FL that’s never been treated before, your doctor may prescribe Gazyva. In this case, Gazyva can be used for stage 2 bulky FL, stage 3 FL, or stage 4 FL. You may receive Gazyva with chemotherapy to treat FL.

Gazyva is given with other chemotherapy medications for the first 6 to 8 cycles.

Gazyva with bendamustine (Treanda)

In some cases, your doctor may recommend you receive Gazyva with bendamustine (Treanda) for untreated FL. You’ll likely receive 6 cycles of treatment that are 28 days long. You’ll receive 1,000 mg of Gazyva on days 1, 8, and 15 of your first cycle.

You’ll receive bendamustine with the first 6 cycles of Gazyva treatment. For cycle 2 and onward, your Gazyva dosage will be 1,000 mg on day 1.

After 6 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has responded to treatment or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva for up to 2 years. At this point, your doctor will have you stop taking bendamustine. You’ll typically receive a 1,000-mg dose of Gazyva once every 2 months.

Gazyva with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP)

Your doctor may recommend that you receive Gazyva with CVP for untreated FL. In this case, you’ll receive 8 cycles of treatment that are each 21 days long. You’ll receive 1,000 mg of Gazyva on days 1, 8, and 15 of your first cycle.

You’ll receive CVP with the first 8 cycles of Gazyva treatment. For cycle 2 and onward, your Gazyva dosage will be 1,000 mg on day 1.

After 8 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has responded to treatment or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva for up to 2 years. At this point, your doctor will recommend that you stop taking CVP. You’ll receive a 1,000-mg dose of Gazyva once every 2 months.

Gazyva with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP)

To treat FL, your doctor may sometimes recommend receiving Gazyva with CHOP. If you’re prescribed this treatment plan, you’ll receive 21-day cycles of medication. You’ll receive 1,000 mg of Gazyva on days 1, 8, and 15 of your first cycle.

You’ll receive CHOP with the first 6 cycles of Gazyva treatment. After 6 cycles have been completed, you’ll receive another 2 cycles of treatment with Gazyva alone. For cycle 2 and onward, your Gazyva dosage will be 1,000 mg on day 1.

After 8 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has responded to treatment or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva for up to 2 years. At this point, your doctor will recommend you stop taking CHOP. You’ll receive a 1,000-mg dose of Gazyva once every 2 months.

Long-term treatment

Gazyva may be a long-term treatment option. In most cases, you’ll receive Gazyva for at least 6 to 8 treatment cycles, which may be 21 to 28 days long. After that, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva for up to 2 years, depending on your condition and response to the drug. However, if you’re receiving Gazyva for CLL, your doctor will likely recommend stopping treatment after 6 cycles.

Talk with your doctor about the length of Gazyva treatment you’ll receive. They’ll discuss your condition and how well Gazyva is working for you.

The Gazyva dosage your doctor prescribes will depend on several factors. These include:

  • the type of condition you’re receiving Gazyva to treat
  • other medical conditions you have

Gazyva is a solution that’s given as an IV infusion by your doctor or another healthcare professional. (An IV infusion is an injection given over a period of time.) You’ll receive your dose of Gazyva in an infusion center, a hospital, or your doctor’s office.

The time it takes to receive your Gazyva infusions will depend on how well you tolerate the drug and if you have an infusion reaction. Your first dose of Gazyva may take as long as 4 hours, but after that, your infusion time may be shorter.

Before receiving your dose of Gazyva, your doctor may recommend taking premedications. You take these drugs before a Gazyva infusion to help prevent infusion-related reactions, such as rash, difficulty breathing, headache, or fever. Premedications may include:

If you miss an appointment for a dose of Gazyva, reschedule it as soon as possible. It’s important that you try to stay on your dosing schedule as best you can so that the medication can work correctly. If you miss your dose of Gazyva, your doctor can help you adjust the rest of your treatment schedule.

To help make sure that you don’t miss an appointment, try using a medication reminder. This can include setting an alarm or using a timer. You could also download a reminder app on your phone.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.