Ibandronic Acid Actavis 2mg Concentrate For Solution For Infusion

Package leaflet: Information for the patient <Ibandronic acid 2 mg concentrate for solution for infusion>

ibandronic acid

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse

• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet:

1. What <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg > is and what it is used for

2. What you need to know before you receive <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

3. How to receive <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

4. Possible side effects

5. How to store <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

6. Contents of the pack and other information

1 What <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg > is and what it is used for

<Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg concentrate for solution for infusion contains the active substance ibandronic acid.> Ibandronic acid belongs to a group of medicines called bisphosphonates.

Ibandronic acid is used in adults and prescribed to you if you have breast cancer that has spread to your bones (called ‘bone metastases’).

• It helps to prevent your bones from breaking (fractures).

• It helps to prevent other bone problems that may need surgery or radiotherapy.

Ibandronic acid can also be prescribed if you have a raised calcium level in your blood due to a tumour.

Ibandronic acid works by reducing the amount of calcium that is lost from your bones. This helps to stop your bones from getting weaker.

What vou need to know before you receive <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

Do not receive <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

• if you are allergic to ibandronic acid or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in Section 6)

• if you have, or have ever had low levels of calcium in your blood

Do not receive this medicine if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before having ibandronic acid.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before receiving <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

• if you are allergic to any other bisphosphonates

• if you have high or low levels of vitamin D, calcium or any other

minerals

• if you have kidney problems

• if you have heart problems and the doctor recommended to limit your daily fluid intake

• if you are having dental treatment or surgery or know that you need some

in the future, tell your dentist that you are being treated with<Ibandronic acid> for cancer

Cases of serious, sometimes fatal allergic reaction have been reported in patients treated with intravenous ibandronic acid.

If you experience one of the following symptoms, such as shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, tight feeling in throat, swelling of tongue, dizziness, feeling of loss of consciousness, redness or swelling of face, body rash, nausea and vomiting, you should immediately alert your doctor or nurse (see section 4).

Children and adolescents

Ibandronic acid should not be used in children and adolescents below the age of 18 years.

Other medicines and <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This is because ibandronic acid can affect

the way some other medicines work. Also, some other medicines can affect the way ibandronic acid works.

In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are receiving a type of antibiotic injection called ‘aminoglycoside’ such as gentamicin. This is because aminoglycosides and ibandronic acid can both lower the amount of calcium in your blood.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

Do not receive ibandronic acid if you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant or if you are breast-feeding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicines.

Driving and using machines

You can drive and use machines as it’s expected that ibandronic acid has no or negligible effect on your ability to drive and use machines. Talk to your doctor first if you want to drive, use machines or tools.

<Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg > contains sodium

This medicinal product contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per vial, i.e. ‘essentially sodium free’.

3 How to receive <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

Receiving this medicine

- Ibandronic acid is normally given by a doctor or other medical staff who have experience with the treatment of cancer.

- it is given as an infusion into your vein

Your doctor may do regular blood tests while you are receiving ibandronic acid. This is to check that you are being given the right amount of this medicine.

How much to receive

Your doctor will work out how much ibandronic acid you will be given depending on your illness.

If you have breast cancer that has spread to your bones, then the recommended dose is 3 vials (6 mg) 1 vial (6mg) every 3-4 weeks, as an infusion in your vein over at least 15 minutes.

If you have a raised calcium level in your blood due to a tumour then the recommended dose is a single administration of 1 vial (2 mg) or 2 vials (4 mg) 2mg or 4mg, depending on the severity of your illness. The medicine should be administered as an infusion in your vein over two hours. A

repeated dose may be considered in case of insufficient response or if your illness reappears.

Your doctor may adjust your dose and duration of intravenous infusion if you have kidney problems.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4 Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Talk to a nurse or a doctor straight away if you notice any of the following serious side effects - you may need urgent medical treatment:

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• persistent eye pain and inflammation

• new pain, weakness or discomfort in your thigh, hip or groin. You may have early signs of a possible unusual fracture of the thigh bone

Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)

• pain or sore in your mouth or jaw. You may have early signs of severe jaw problems (necrosis (dead bone tissue) in the jaw bone)

• itching, swelling of your face, lips, tongue and throat, with difficulty breathing. You may be having a serious, potentially life threatening allergic reaction (see section 2)

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)

• asthma attack

Other possible side effects

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• flu-like symptoms, including fever, shaking and shivering, feeling of discomfort, fatigue, bone pain and aching muscles and joints. These symptoms usually disappear within a couple of hours or days. Talk to a


•	nurse or doctor if any effects become troublesome or last more than a couple of days rise in body temperature
•	stomach and tummy pain, indigestion, being sick, vomiting or having
•	diarrhea(loose bowels) low calcium or phosphate levels in your blood
•	changes in blood test results such as Gamma GT or creatinine
•	a heart problem called ‘bundle branch block’
•	pain in your bone or muscles
•	headache, feeling dizzy or feeling weak
•	feeling thirsty, sore throat, changes in taste
•	swollen legs or feet
•	aching joints, arthritis, or other joint problems
•	problems with your parathyroid gland
•	bruising
•	infections
•	a problem with your eyes called ‘cataracts’
•	skin problems
•	tooth problems
Uncommon (affects less than 1 in 100 people)
•	shaking or shivering
•	your body temperature getting too low (‘hypothermia’)
•	a condition affecting the blood vessels in your brain called
•	‘cerebrovascular disorder’ heart and circulatory problems (including palpitations, heart attack,
•	hypertension and varicose veins) changes in your blood cells (‘anaemia’)
•	a high level of alkaline phosphatase in your blood
•	fluid build up and swelling (‘lymphoedema’)
•	fluid in your lungs
•	stomach problems such as ‘gastroenteritis’ or ‘gastritis’
•	gallstones
•	being unable to pass water (urine), cystitis (bladder inflammation)
•	migraine
•	pain in your nerves, damaged nerve root
•	deafness
•	increased sensitivity of sound, taste or touch or changes in smell

• difficulty swallowing

• mouth ulcers, swollen lips (‘cheilitis’), oral thrush

• itching or tingling skin around your mouth

• pelvic pain, discharge, itching or pain in the vagina

• a skin growth called a ‘benign skin neoplasm’

• memory loss

• sleep problems, feeling anxious, emotional instability, or mood swings

• skin rash

• hair loss

• pain or injury at the injection site

• weight loss

• kidney cyst.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5 How to store <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg >

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

After dilution the infusion solution is stable for 24 hours at 2-8 °C (in a refrigerator).

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the folding box and on the label after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Do not use this medicine if you notice that the solution is not clear or contains particles.

Unused solution should be discarded.

What <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg > contains

One vial with 2 ml concentrate for solution for infusion contains 2 mg ibandronic acid (as 2.25 mg ibandronic acid, monosodium salt, monohydrate).

One vial with 6 ml of a concentrate for solution for infusion contains 6 mg ibandronic acid (as 6.75 mg ibandronic acid, monosodium salt, monohydrate).

One ml concentrate for solution for infusion contains 1 mg ibandronic acid (as 1.13 mg ibandronic acid, monosodium salt, monohydrate).

The other ingredients are sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide (E524) (for pH adjustment), acetic acid, glacial (E260), sodium acetate trihydrate.and water for injections.

What <Ibandronic acid 2 mg6mg > looks like and contents of the pack

Ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion is a clear and colourless solution.

It is available in packs of

1, 3, 5 or 10 clear, colourless glass vials

The vials are closed with a rubber stopper.

2 ml vials have an orange flip-off cap 6 ml vials have a turquoise (greenish blue) flip-off cap.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder:

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{Name and address}

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Manufacturers:

Synthon BV, Microweg 22, 6545CM Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Synthon Hispania SL, Castello 1, Poligono Las Salinas, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain

To be completed nationally

<This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following names :>

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This leaflet was last revised in September 2014

The following information is intended for medical or healthcare professionals only

Dosage: Prevention of Skeletal Events in Patients with Breast Cancer and Bone Metastases

The recommended dose for prevention of skeletal events in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases is 6 mg intravenously given every 3-4 weeks. The dose should be infused over at least 15 minutes.

Patients with renal impairment

For patients with mild renal impairment (CLcr >50 and <80 mL/min) no dosage adjustment is necessary. For patients with moderate renal impairment (CLcr >30 and <50 mL/min) or severe renal impairment (CLcr <30 mL/min) being treated for the prevention of skeletal events in patients with breast cancer and metastatic bone disease the following dosing recommendations should be followed:

Creatinine Clearance (ml/min)	Dosage / Infusion time ¹	Infusion Volume
>50 CLcr<80	6 mg / 15 minutes	100 ml
>30 CLcr <50	4 mg / 1 hour	500 ml
<30	2 mg / 1 hour	500 ml
¹ Administration every 3 to 4 week ² 0.9% sodium chloride solution or 5% glucose solution

A 15 minute infusion time has not been studied in cancer patients with CLCr <50 mL/min.

Dosage: Tumour-induced Hypercalcaemia

Ibandronic acid is usually administered in a hospital setting. The dose is determined by the doctor considering the following factors.

Prior to treatment with ibandronic acid the patient should be adequately rehydrated with 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride. Consideration should be given to the severity of the hypercalcaemia as well as the tumour type. In most patients with severe hypercalcaemia (albumin-corrected serum calcium* >3 mmol/l or >12 mg/dl) 4 mg will be an adequate single dosage. In patients with moderate hypercalcaemia (albumin-corrected serum calcium <3 mmol/l or <12 mg/dl) 2 mg is an effective dose. The highest dose used in clinical trials was 6 mg but this dose does not add any further benefit in terms of efficacy.

• Note albumin-corrected serum calcium concentrations are calculated as follows:

Albumin-corrected = Serum calcium (mmol/l) - [0.02 x albumin

Serum calcium (g/l)] + 0.8

(mmol/l)

or

Albumin-corrected = Serum calcium (mg/dl) + 0.8 x [4 - albumin

Serum calcium (mg/dl) (g/dl)]

To convert the albumin-corrected serum calcium in mmol/l value to mg/dl, multiply by 4.

In most cases a raised serum calcium level can be reduced to the normal range within 7 days. The median time to relapse (reincrease of serum albumin corrected serum calcium above 3 mmol/l) was 18-19 days for the 2 mg and 4 mg doses. The median time to relapse was 26 days with a dose of 6 mg.

Method and route of administration

Ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion should be administered as an intravenous infusion.

For this purpose the contents of the vial are to be used as follows:

• Treatment of tumour induced hypercalcaemia - added to 500 ml isotonic sodium chloride solution or 500 ml 5% dextrose solution and infused over 2 hours.

• Prevention of Skeletal Events in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases - added to 100 ml isotonic sodium chloride solution or 100 ml 5% dextrose solution and infused over at least 15 minutes. See also dosage section above for patients with renal impairment.

Note:

In order to avoid potential incompatibilities, ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion should only be mixed with isotonic sodium chloride solution or with 5% dextrose solution. Calcium containing solutions should not be mixed with ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion.

Diluted solutions are for single use. Only clear solutions without particles should be used.

It is recommended that the product once diluted be used immediately (see point 5 of this leaflet “How to store <Ibandronic acid 2mg6mg>”).

Ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion should be administered as an intravenous infusion. Care must be taken not to administer ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion via intra-arterial or paravenous administration as this could lead to tissue damage.

Frequency of administration

For treatment of tumour induced hypercalcemia, ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion is generally given as a single infusion.

For the prevention of skeletal events in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases, the ibandronic acid infusion is repeated at 3-4 week intervals.

Duration of treatment

A limited number of patients (50 patients) have received a second infusion for hypercalcaemia. Repeated treatment may be considered in case of recurrent hypercalcaemia or insufficient efficacy.

For patients with breast cancer and bone metastases, ibandronic acid infusion should be administered every 3-4 weeks. In clinical trials, therapy has continued for up to 96 weeks.

Overdose

Up to now there is no experience of acute poisoning with ibandronic acid concentrate for solution for infusion. Since both the kidney and the liver were found to be target organs for toxicity in preclinical studies with high doses, kidney and liver function should be monitored.

Clinically relevant hypocalcaemia (very low serum calcium levels) should be corrected by intravenous administration of calcium gluconate.

Issue date: 03-08-12 Document: M131_03.IBE.sod.mhy.csi.001.06.core.WD Author: PL