Gazyva (obinutuzumab) is a brand-name prescription medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to treat certain forms of cancer in adults.

Specifically, Gazyva is used to treat:

  • chronic lymphocytic leukemia that hasn’t been treated before
  • follicular lymphoma (FL) that’s been treated with another medication called Rituxan (rituximab), however, the cancer relapsed (came back or worsened after treatment) or is refractory (didn’t respond to treatment)
  • certain forms of FL that haven’t been treated before

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

Gazyva is a biologic drug that belongs 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. For a comprehensive look at Gazyva, see this article.

This article describes typical dosages for Gazyva provided by the drug’s manufacturer. But, your doctor will prescribe the Gazyva dosage that’s right for you.

Gazyva dosage depends on many factors, including what condition you have, what cycle of chemotherapy you are 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 comes as a solution that is given as an IV infusion.

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 start you receiving 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 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

Gazyva is given in 28-day cycles for CLL. In your first cycle, you will receive loading doses. This means that you will get more medication at the start of your treatment so that the drug can begin to work. You will 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 is a small dose that’s given as an IV infusion slowly over 4 hours. The purpose of this dose is to ensure that you won’t have any infusion-related reactions from the medication.

After your first dose of Gazyva, your doctor or healthcare professional 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 slow infusion in the future so that your body can get used to Gazyva. In most cases, there won’t be any dose modifications, or changes to your dose. However, your doctor may choose to slow down your infusion to decrease your risk of side effects.

Your doctor may recommend receiving Gazyva for a total of 6 cycles. However, after your first cycle, you will only need one dose of Gazyva on day 1 of each new cycle. This dose will be 1,000 mg.

Dosage for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL)

To treat FL that has relapsed (came back or worsened after treatment) or is refractory (didn’t respond to treatment), Gazyva is given in combination with another medication called Treanda (bendamustine). This treatment should only be used if you’ve already tried another medication called Rituxan (rituximab) and your FL came back or worsened.

For this use, Gazyva is given in 28-day cycles, and you will receive a dose on days 1, 8, and 15 of your first cycle. Below is the recommended Gazyva treatment dosing for cycle 1 to treat FL that is relapsed or refractory:

  • Day 1: 1,000 mg
  • Day 8: 1,000 mg
  • Day 15: 1,000 mg

Your doctor may recommend Gazyva treatment for a total of 6 cycles. You will receive Treanda (bendamustine) in combination with the first 6 cycles of treatment. Dosing for cycle 2 and onward is only one dose of Gazyva 1,000 mg on day 1.

After 6 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has improved or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva treatment for up to 2 years. At this point, your doctor will recommend that you stop taking Treanda (bendamustine). In this case, you will 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 in combination with chemotherapy to treat FL.

Gazyva will be given in combination with other chemotherapy medications for the first 6 to 8 cycles.

Gazyva with Treanda (bendamustine)

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

You will receive Treanda (bendamustine) in combination with the first 6 cycles of Gazyva treatment. Dosing for cycle 2 and onward is one dose of Gazyva 1,000 mg on day 1.

After 6 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has improved or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva treatment for up to 2 years. At this point, your doctor will have you stop taking Treanda (bendamustine). In this case, you will 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 in combination with CVP. In this case, you will 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 will receive CVP in combination with the first 8 cycles of treatment. Dosing for cycle 2 and onward is one 1,000 mg dose of Gazyva on day 1.

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

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

In some cases, your doctor may recommend receiving Gazyva in combination with CHOP to treat FL. If you are prescribed this treatment plan, you will be receiving 21-day cycles of medication. You will receive 1,000 mg of Gazyva on days 1, 8, and 15 of your first cycle.

You will receive CHOP in combination with the first 6 cycles of treatment. After 6 cycles have been completed, you will receive another 2 cycles of treatment with Gazyva alone. Dosing for cycle 2 and onward is typically one 1,000 mg dose of Gazyva on day 1.

After 8 cycles of treatment, if your cancer has improved or isn’t getting worse, your doctor may recommend continuing Gazyva for up to 2 years of treatment. At this point, your doctor will recommend that you stop taking CHOP. Then, you will 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 will 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 treatment with Gazyva for up to 2 years, depending on your condition and response to treatment. However, if you’re receiving Gazyva for CLL, your doctor will likely recommend stopping treatment after 6 cycles.

Talk with your doctor about your length of treatment with Gazyva, depending on 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 will receive your dose of Gazyva in an infusion center, a hospital, or your doctor’s office.

The time it will take 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. After that, your infusion time may be shorter.

Before receiving your dose of Gazyva, your doctor may recommend taking premedications. These are drugs that you take before a Gazyva infusion to help prevent infusion-related reactions such as rash, difficulty breathing, headache, or fever. Your doctor may recommend premedications, including:

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.

The dosages in this article are typical dosages provided by the drug manufacturer. If your doctor recommends Gazyva for you, they will prescribe the dosage that’s right for you. If you have questions about the dosage of Gazyva that’s best for you, talk with your doctor.

Besides learning about dosage, you may want other information about Gazyva. These additional articles might be helpful to you:

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.