(alprostadil)
Medication Guide
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Prescribing Information
Full Patient Information
Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Patient Information and Instructions for Use).
Dosing and Self-Administration
To ensure safe and effective use of CAVERJECT, instruct and train the patient in the self-injection technique before he begins treatment with CAVERJECT, at home. Inform the patient the initial dose administration and dose titration will take place in the health care provider’s office [see Dosage and Administration (2.1)].
Once the home dose of CAVERJECT has been established, instruct the patient not to change the dose without consulting their health care provider.
The patient may expect an erection to occur within 5 minutes to 20 minutes and it should last no longer than 1 hour. CAVERJECT should be used no more than 3 times per week, with at least 24 hours between each use [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)].
Inform the patient that they must visit the health care provider’s office for regular check-ups for assessment of the therapeutic benefit and safety of treatment with CAVERJECT.
When self-administering the patient should be instructed to [see Dosage and Administration (2.2, 2.3)]:
Needle Breakage
Advise patients that needle breakage has occurred during self-injection of CAVERJECT. Advise patients to insert the needle perpendicular to the long axis of the penis to avoid bending or breakage of the needle [see Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.7) and Adverse Reactions (6.2)].
Penile Pain
Advise patients that the most frequently occurring side-effect is penile pain after injection and is usually mild to moderate in severity [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].
Priapism
A potentially serious adverse reaction with CAVERJECT is priapism. Instruct the patient to seek immediate medical assistance if an erection persists for longer than 4 hours [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].
Penile Fibrosis
Penile fibrosis has been reported in clinical studies with CAVERJECT. Advise the patient to report any penile pain that was not present before or that increased in intensity, as well as the occurrence of nodules or hard tissue in the penis or curvature of the erect penis to his physician as soon as possible. [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].
Injection Site Reactions
Inform the patient that injection of CAVERJECT can induce a small amount of bleeding at the site of injection and that hematoma and ecchymosis may occur. Advise the patient to report any persistent redness, tenderness or swelling [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)].
Sexually Transmitted Disease
Use of CAVERJECT offers no protection from the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Advise the patient about the protective measures that are necessary to guard against the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9)].
CAVERJECT [KAV-er-jeckt]®
(alprostadil)
for injection, for intracavernosal use
Read this Patient Information before you start using CAVERJECT and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment.
What is CAVERJECT?
CAVERJECT is a prescription medicine used:
CAVERJECT is not meant for use in women or children.
Do not use CAVERJECT if you:
Before you use CAVERJECT, tell your healthcare provider about all your other medical conditions, especially if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
CAVERJECT may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect the way CAVERJECT works causing side effects.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take any other medicines that are treatments for ED, other medicines injected into your penis (intracavernosally), or certain medicines called anticoagulant medicines (such as heparin or warfarin).
Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
How should I use CAVERJECT?
You should see your healthcare provider every 3 months for check-ups to be sure that CAVERJECT is working the right way and to change your CAVERJECT dose if needed.
What are the possible side effects of CAVERJECT?
CAVERJECT may cause serious side effects, including:
CAVERJECT does not protect you or your partner from getting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV-the virus that causes AIDS.
The most common side effect of CAVERJECT is penile pain
These are not all the possible side effects of CAVERJECT.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
General information about the safe and effective use of CAVERJECT
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information Leaflet. Do not use CAVERJECT for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give CAVERJECT to other people even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them.
You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about CAVERJECT that is written for health professionals.
What are the Ingredients in CAVERJECT?
Active ingredient: alprostadil
Inactive ingredients: lactose, sodium citrate, benzyl alcohol (contained in the final solution) and hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment.
This product's labeling may have been updated. For the most recent prescribing information, please visit www.pfizer.com
LAB-1045-3.0
Revised: March 2023
CAVERJECT [KAV-er-jeckt]®
(alprostadil)
for injection, for intracavernosal use
Your healthcare provider should show you how to prepare and inject CAVERJECT the right way before you inject it for the first time. Do not try to inject yourself until you have been shown the right way to give your injections by your healthcare provider.
Information about how to safely inject CAVERJECT:
Supplies you will need to give your CAVERJECT injection (Figure A)
These items are needed for injection and are not supplied with CAVERJECT:
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Follow the instructions below to prepare and give your injection. Figure B explains the parts of the needle and syringe that are referred to in the instructions. |
CAVERJECT comes in 20 mcg or 40 mcg strengths. Make sure you have the right strength vial of CAVERJECT that your healthcare provider prescribed for you.
Prepare the Syringe
Step 1. | |
Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel. | |
Step 2. | |
Assemble the needle and syringe as follows:
| Figure C: Remove the syringe ![]() |
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Step 3. | |
Keeping hold of the needle assembly, remove the plastic syringe cap from the syringe tip (Figure E). Do not touch the syringe tip. | Figure E: Remove the syringe cap ![]() |
Step 4. | |
Hold the needle assembly (still in the paper wrapper). Firmly attach the needle to the syringe tip. Turn it clockwise, like tightening a screw to lock it in place (Figure F).
| Figure F: Attach the needle to the syringe ![]() |
Mixing the powder and liquid to prepare the dose | |
Step 5. | |
Remove the plastic cap from the vial of CAVERJECT and remove any cover from the diluent (Figure G). | |
Step 6. | |
Wipe the rubber stoppers on the vials of CAVERJECT and diluent with 1 alcohol swab. Throw away the alcohol swab. | |
Step 7. | |
Carefully hold the syringe by the barrel and remove the needle cover (Figure H).
| Figure H: Remove the needle cover ![]() |
Step 8. | |
Hold the syringe with the needle attached and push the needle through the center of the diluent vial's rubber stopper (Figure I). Be careful not to bend the needle. | Figure I: Push the needle into the diluent vial ![]() |
| Figure J: Remove the liquid from the vial ![]() |
Step 9. | |
Push the syringe plunger to the 1mL mark on the syringe. This will remove air and extra liquid back into vial. | Figure K: Adjust the amount of liquid in the syringe ![]() |
Step 10. | |
Holding the syringe with the needle attached in a straight line with the vial of CAVERJECT, push the needle through the center of the rubber stopper of the vial of CAVERJECT. Be careful not to bend the needle.
| Figure L: Push the needle into the CAVERJECT vial ![]() |
Step 11. | |
Without removing the needle or touching the needle or stopper, gently swirl (do not shake) the vial until all the powder is dissolved in the liquid. Then turn the vial and needle/syringe upside down and gently swirl the vial to dissolve any powder in the neck of the vial. Do not use the solution if it is cloudy, colored, or contains particles. | |
Step 12. | |
Keeping the needle in the vial, firmly hold the vial and syringe upside down in one hand.
| Figure M: Remove the liquid from the vial ![]() |
If there are air bubbles, gently tap the syringe barrel until the bubbles float to the top of the liquid (see Figure N).
| Figure N: Tap the syringe barrel to remove air bubbles ![]() |
Step 14. | |
Carefully replace the needle used to mix the liquid with a new 29 to 30 gauge one half inch needle for your injection.
Set the syringe down on a level surface. | |
How to give the injection
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STEP 15. | |
The injection will go into the part of the penis shown as the shaded area in Figure O. Do not inject CAVERJECT into the white areas because there may be blood vessels in the white areas. (See Figure P).
| Figure O: Top view of the penis showing injection sites (shaded areas). Figure P: Cross-section of the penis ![]() |
Step 16. | |
Wipe the area for injection with an alcohol swab and let it dry. | |
Step 17. | |
Do not throw away the swab; you will need to use it again after you give your injection. (See Step 23). | |
Step 18. | |
If your penis is not circumcised, pull the foreskin back. Take hold of the tip of your penis with your thumb and forefinger; stretch it lengthwise along your thigh. | |
Step 19. | |
Gently squeeze your penis between your thumb and finger so that the injection site bulges out. | |
Step 20. | |
Remove the cover from the needle. Position your penis firmly against your thigh to keep it from moving during the injection. | |
Step 21. | |
Keeping a firm grip on your penis, take the syringe in your other hand, and push the needle straight into the selected injection site (See Figure Q).
| Figure Q: Insert the needle into the injection site ![]() |
Step 22. | |
Holding the syringe barrel between two fingers, move your thumb or finger to the top of the plunger and, with a steady motion, push down on the plunger so that the entire contents of the syringe is slowly injected (Figure R). | Figure R: Inject the contents of the syringe. ![]() |
After completing the injection, carefully pull the needle out of your penis. Press gently on the injection site with the alcohol swab for about 5 minutes or until bleeding stops. |
After your injection:
Dispose of your used CAVERJECT syringe and needles.
How should I store CAVERJECT?
CAVERJECT 20 mcg vial storage information
CAVERJECT 40 mcg vial storage information
Keep CAVERJECT and all medicines out of the reach of children.
This Patient Information and Instructions for Use has been approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration.
LAB-0009-8.0
Revised March 2023
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