Kepivance and Pneumococcal polysaccharides vaccine (PPSV), 23-valent

• Generic Name: palifermin
• Dosage Forms: injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution
• Other Brand Names: Kepivance

Kepivance (palifermin) is a manmade form of a human protein that affects growth of cells within the tissues lining your mouth and digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, and intestines).

Kepivance is used to help prevent or heal mouth sores and ulcers in people being treated with chemotherapy and stem cell treatment.

Kepivance is used in people receiving chemotherapy to treat blood cancers (Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia). This medicine is not a treatment for the cancer itself.

• Generic Name: pneumococcal 23-polyvalent vaccine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Pneumovax 23

Pneumococcal disease is a serious infection caused by a bacteria. Pneumococcal bacteria can infect the sinuses and inner ear. It can also infect the lungs, blood, and brain and these conditions can be fatal.

Pneumococcal polysaccharides vaccine (PPSV) is used to prevent infection caused by pneumococcal bacteria. PPSV contains 23 of the most common types of pneumococcal bacteria.

PPSV works by exposing you to a small dose of the bacteria or a protein from the bacteria, which causes your body to develop immunity to the disease. PPSV will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

PPSV is for use only in adults and children who are at least 2 years old. For children younger than 2 years old, another vaccine called Prevnar (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV] 7-valent) is used, usually given between the ages of 2 months and 15 months.

Like any vaccine, PPSV may not provide protection from disease in every person.