Ranitidine 150mg Film-Coated Tablets
SUMMARY OF PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
1 NAME OF THE MEDICINAL PRODUCT
Ranitidine 150mg film coated tablets
2 QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION
Each film-coated tablet contains ranitidine 150 mg (as the hydrochloride).
For the full list of excipients, see section 6.1
3 PHARMACEUTICAL FORM
Film coated tablets.
White to almost white, circular, biconvex, film coated tablets embossed with “BL” on one side and “150” on the other.
4 CLINICAL PARTICULARS
4.1 Therapeutic indications
Adults:
• duodenal ulcer and benign gastric ulcer, including that associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
• prevention of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug associated duodenal ulcers.
• treatment of duodenal ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.
• post-operative ulcer.
• oesophageal reflux disease including long term management of healed oesophagitis.
• symptomatic relief in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
• Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome.
Chronic episodic dyspepsia, characterised by pain (epigastric or retrosternal) which is related to meals or disturbs sleep but not associated with the above conditions. Prophylaxis of gastrointestinal haemorrhage from stress ulceration in seriously ill
patients
Prophylaxis of recurrent haemorrhage with bleeding peptic ulcers.
Before general anaesthesia in patients at risk of acid aspiration (Mendelson's syndrome), particularly obstetric patients during labour.
Children (3 to 18 years):
Short term treatment of peptic ulcer
Treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux, including reflux oesophagitis and symptomatic relief of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
4.2 Posology and method of administration
Posology
Adults (including the elderly):
Usual dosage is 150 mg twice daily, taken in the morning and evening. Duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer:
The standard dosage regimen is 150 mg twice daily or 300 mg at night. It is not necessary to time the dose in relation to meals.
In most cases of duodenal ulcer, benign gastric ulcer and post-operative ulcer, healing occurs within 4 weeks. Healing usually occurs after a further 4 weeks of treatment in those not fully healed after the initial course of therapy.
Ulcers following NSAID therapy or associated with continued NSAIDs:
8 weeks treatment may be necessary
Prevention of NSAID associated duodenal ulcers:
150 mg twice daily may be given concomitantly with NSAID therapy.
In duodenal ulcer, 300 mg twice daily for 4 weeks results in healing rates which are higher than those at 4 weeks with ranitidine 150 mg twice daily or 300 mg at night. The increased dose has not been associated with an increased incidence of unwanted effects.
Duodenal ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infection:
For duodenal ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, ranitidine 300 mg at bedtime or 150 mg twice daily may be given with oral amoxicillin
750 mg three times daily and metronidazole 500 mg three times daily for two weeks. Therapy with ranitidine should continue for a further two weeks. This dose regimen significantly reduces the frequency of duodenal ulcer recurrence.
Maintenance treatment at a reduced dosage of 150 mg at bedtime is recommended for patients who have responded to short term therapy, particularly those with a history of recurrent ulcer.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease:
Symptom relief in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. In patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, a dose regimen of 150 mg twice daily for 2 weeks is recommended and this can be repeated in patients in whom the initial symptomatic response is inadequate
Oesophageal reflux disease:
In the management of oesophageal reflux disease, the recommended course of treatment is either 150 mg twice daily or 300 mg at bedtime for up to 8 weeks or 12 weeks if necessary.
In patients with moderate to severe oesophagitis, the dosage of ranitidine may be increased to 150 mg 4 times daily for up to 12 weeks. The increased dose has not been associated with an increased incidence of unwanted effects.
Healed oesophagitis:
For long term treatment, recommended adult dose is 150 mg twice daily. Long term treatment is not indicated in management of patients with unhealed oesophagitis with or without Barrett's epithelium.
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome:
The starting dose for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is 150 mg three times daily, and this may be increased as necessary. Patients with this syndrome have been given increasing doses up to 6 grams per day and these doses have been well tolerated.
Chronic episodic dyspepsia:
The standard dosage regimen for patients with chronic episodic dyspepsia is 150 mg twice daily for up to 6 weeks. Anyone not responding or relapsing shortly afterwards should be investigated.
Prophylaxis of haemorrhage from stress ulceration in seriously ill patients or prophylaxis of recurrent haemorrhage in patients bleeding from peptic ulceration:
150 mg twice daily may be substituted for the injection once oral feeding commences
Prophylaxis of acid aspiration (Mendelson's) syndrome:
150 mg oral dose can be given 2 hours before anaesthesia and preferably also 150 mg the previous evening. Alternatively, the injection is also available. In obstetric patients in labour 150 mg every 6 hours, but if general anaesthesia is required it is recommended that a non-particulate antacid (e.g. sodium citrate) be given in addition. The usual precautions to avoid acid aspiration should also be taken.
Children 12 years and over
For children 12 years and over the adult dosage is given. Children from 3 to 11 years and over 30 kg of weight:
See Section 5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties (Special Patient Population)
Peptic Ulcer Acute Treatment:
The recommended oral dose for the treatment of peptic ulcer in children is 4 mg/kg/day to 8 mg/kg/day administered as two divided doses to a maximum of 300 mg ranitidine per day for duration of 4 weeks. For those patients with complete healing, another 4 weeks of therapy is indicated, as healing usually occurs after eight weeks of treatment.
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux:
The recommended oral dose for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux in children is 5 mg/kg/day to 10 mg/kg/day administered as two divided doses to a maximum of 600 mg (the maximum dose is likely to apply to heavier children or adolescents with severe symptoms).
Neonates
Safety and efficacy in new-born patients has not been established.
Patients over 50 years of age:
See Section 5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties (Special Patient Populations, Patients over 50 years of age)
Patients with renal impairment
Accumulation of ranitidine with resulting elevated plasma concentrations will occur in patients with renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 50 ml/min). Accordingly, it is recommended that the daily dose of ranitidine in such patients should be 150 mg at night for 4-8 weeks. The same dose should be used for maintenance treatment, if necessary. If an ulcer has not healed after treatment, 150 mg twice daily dosage should be instituted followed, if need be, by maintenance treatment of 150 mg at night.
Method of administration
Oral administration.
The tablets have to be swallowed whole.
4.3 Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1
Although clinical reports of acute intermittent porphyria associated with ranitidine administration have been rare and inconclusive, ranitidine should be avoided in patients with a history of this condition.
4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use Malignancy
The possibility of malignancy should be excluded before commencement of therapy in patients with gastric ulcer [and if indications include dyspepsia; patients of middle age and over with new or recently changed dyspeptic symptoms must be included] as treatment with ranitidine may mask symptoms of gastric carcinoma.
Renal Disease
Ranitidine is excreted via the kidney and so plasma levels of the drug are increased in patients with renal impairment.
The dosage should be adjusted as detailed above under section 4.2 in renal impairment.
Regular supervision of patients who are taking non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs concomitantly with ranitidine is recommended, especially in the elderly and in those with a history of peptic ulcer.
Although clinical reports of acute intermittent porphyria associated with ranitidine administration have been rare and inconclusive, ranitidine should be avoided in patients with a history of this condition
Use in elderly patients:
In patients such as the elderly, persons with chronic lung disease, diabetes or the immunocompromised, there may be an increased risk of developing community acquired pneumonia. A large epidemiological study showed an increased risk of developing community acquired pneumonia in current users of ranitidine alone versus those who had stopped treatment, with an observed adjusted relative risk increase of 1.82 (95% CI, 1.26-2.64). Post marketing data indicate reversible mental confusion, depression and hallucinations have been reported most frequently in severely ill and elderly patients (see section 4.8).
4.5 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction
Regular supervision of patients who are taking NSAIDs concomitantly with ranitidine is recommended, especially in the elderly. Current evidence shows that ranitidine protects against NSAID associated ulceration in the duodenum and not in the stomach.
Ranitidine has the potential to affect the absorption, metabolism or renal excretion of other drugs. The altered pharmacokinetics may necessitate dosage adjustment of the affected drug or discontinuation of treatment.
Interactions occur by several mechanisms including:
1) Inhibition of cytochrome P450-linked mixed function oxygenase system:
Ranitidine at usual therapeutic doses does not potentiate the actions of drugs which are inactivated by this enzyme system such as diazepam, lidocaine, phenytoin, propranolol and theophylline. There have been reports of altered prothrombin time with coumarin anticoagulants (e.g. warfarin). Due to the narrow therapeutic index, close monitoring of increased or decreased prothrombin time is recommended during concurrent treatment with ranitidine.
2) Competition for renal tubular secretion:
Since ranitidine is partially eliminated by the cationic system, it may affect the
clearance of other drugs eliminated by this route. High doses of ranitidine (e.g. such as those used in the treatment of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) may reduce the excretion of procainamide and N-acetylprocainamide resulting in increased plasma levels of these drugs.
3) Alteration of gastric pH:
The bioavailability of certain drugs may be affected. This can result in either an increase in absorption (e.g. triazolam, midazolam, glipizide) or a decrease in absorption (e.g. ketoconazole, atazanavir, delaviridine, gefitnib).
There is no evidence of an interaction between ranitidine and amoxicillin, and metronidazole. If high doses (2 g) of sucralfate are co-administered with ranitidine the absorption of the latter may be reduced. This effect is not seen if sucralfate is taken after an interval of 2 hours.
4.6 Fertility, pregnancy and lactation
Ranitidine crosses the placenta but therapeutic doses administered to obstetric patients in labour or undergoing caesarean section have been without any adverse effect on labour, delivery or subsequent neonatal progress. It is excreted in human breast milk.
Like other drugs it should only be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding if considered essential.
There are no data on the effects of ranitidine on human fertility. There were no effects on male and female fertility in animal studies (see section 5.3).
4.7 Effects on ability to drive and use machines
No known effect.
4.8 Undesirable effects
The following convention has been utilised for the classification of undesirable effects:
very common (>1/10), common (>1/100, <1/10), uncommon (>1/1000,
</100), rare (>1/10,000, <1/1000), very rare (<1/10,000),
Adverse event frequencies have been estimated from spontaneous reports from postmarketing data.
Blood & lymphatic system Disorders
Very Rare: Blood count changes (leucopenia, thrombocytopenia). These are usually reversible. Agranulocytosis or pancytopenia, sometimes with marrow hypoplasia or marrow aplasia.
Immune System Disorders
Rare: Hypersensitivity reactions (urticaria, angioneurotic oedema, fever, bronchospasm, hypotension and chest pain) following the parenteral and oral administration of ranitidine.
Very Rare: Anaphylactic shock Unknown: Dyspnoea
These events have been reported after a single dose.
Psychiatric Disorders
Very Rare: Depression, Reversible mental confusion, and hallucinations.
These have been reported predominantly in severely ill, in the elderly and in nephropatic patients.
Nervous System Disorders
Very Rare: Headache (sometimes severe), dizziness and reversible involuntary movement disorders.
Eye Disorders
Very Rare: Reversible blurred vision.
There have been reports of blurred vision, which is suggestive of a change in accommodation.
Cardiac Disorders
Very Rare: As with other H2 receptor antagonists bradycardia, A-V Block, tachycardia
Vascular Disorders
Very Rare: Vasculitis.
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Very Rare: Acute pancreatitis, diarrhoea
Uncommon: abdominal pain, constipation, nausea (these symptoms mostly improved during continued treatment).
Hepatobiliary Disorders
Rare: Transient and reversible changes in liver function tests.
Very Rare: Hepatitis (hepatocellular, hepatocanalicular or mixed) with or without jaundice, these were usually reversible.
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders
Rare: Skin Rash.
Very Rare: Erythema multiforme, alopecia.
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders
Very rare: Musculoskeletal symptoms such as arthralgia and myalgia.
Renal and Urinary Disorders
Very rare: Acute interstitial nephritis.
Rare: elevation of plasma creatinine (usually slight; normalised during continued treatment)
Reproductive System and Breast Disorders
Very Rare: Reversible impotence, breast symptoms and breast conditions (such as gynaecomastia and galactorrhoea)
No clinically significant interference with endocrine or gonadal function has been reported. There have been a few reports of breast symptoms (swelling and/or discomfort) in men taking ranitidine; some cases have resolved on continued ranitidine treatment. Discontinuation of therapy may be necessary in order to establish the underlying cause.
Paediatric population
The safety of ranitidine has been assessed in children aged 0 to 16 years with acid- related disease and was generally well tolerated with an adverse event profile resembling that in adults. There are limited long term safety data available, in particular regarding growth and development.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
4.9 Overdose Symptoms
Ranitidine is very specific in action and accordingly no particular problems are expected following overdosage with the drug.
Treatment
Symptomatic and supportive therapy should be given as appropriate. If need be, the drug may be removed from the plasma by haemodialysis.
5 PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Drugs for Acid Related Disorders,
ATC Code: A02BA02
Ranitidine is a specific rapidly acting histamine H2-antagonist. It inhibits basal and stimulated secretion of gastric acid, reducing both the volume and the acid and pepsin content of the secretion. Ranitidine has a relatively long duration of action and so a single 150 mg dose effectively suppresses gastric acid secretion for twelve hours.
5.2 Pharmacokinetic properties
Absorption
Following oral administration of 150 mg ranitidine, maximum plasma concentrations (300 to 550 ng/mL) occurred after 1—3 hours. Two distinct peaks or plateau in the absorption phase result from reabsorption of drug excreted into the intestine. The absolute bioavailability of ranitidine is 50-60% and plasma concentrations increase proportionally with increasing dose up to 300 mg.
Distribution
Ranitidine is not extensively bound to plasma proteins (15%), but exhibits a large volume of distribution ranging from 96 to 142 L.
Metabolism
Ranitidine is not extensively metabolised. The fraction of the dose recovered as metabolites is similar after both oral and i.v. dosing; and includes 6% of the dose in urine as the N-oxide, 2% as the S-oxide, 2% as desmethylranitidine and 1 to 2% as the furoic acid analogue.
Elimination
Plasma concentrations decline bi-exponentially, with a terminal half-life of 2-3 hours. The major route of elimination is renal. After IV administration of 150 mg 3H-ranitidine, 98% of the dose was recovered, including 5% in faeces and 93% in urine, of which 70% was unchanged parent drug. After oral administration of 150 mg 3H-ranitidine, 96% of the dose was recovered, 26% in faeces and 70% in urine of which 35% was unchanged parent drug. Less than 3% of the dose is excreted in bile. Renal clearance is approximately 500 mL/min, which exceeds glomerular filtration indicating net renal tubular secretion.
Special Patient Populations:
Children (3 years and above):
Limited pharmacokinetic data show that there are no significant differences in halflife (range for children 3 years and above: 1.7 - 2.2 h) and plasma clearance (range for children 3 years and above: 9 - 22 ml/min/kg) between children and healthy adults receiving oral ranitidine when correction is made for body weight.
Patients over 50 years of age:
In patients over 50 years of age, half-life is prolonged (3-4 h) and clearance is reduced, consistent with the age-related decline of renal function. However, systemic exposure and accumulation are 50% higher. This difference exceeds the effect of declining renal function, and indicates increased bioavailability in older patients.
5.3 Preclinical safety data
Extensive studies in animals have not revealed any significant toxicological abnormalities nor any mutagenic potential of ranitidine. Chronic high dose tests in rodents have not demonstrated carcinogenicity.
Reproductive toxicological studies in rodents have not revealed any teratological or toxicological effects of ranitidine.
In standard bacterial tests for mutagenicity (Salmonella, E. Coli) at concentrations up to the maximum recommended for these assays ranitidine was not found to be mutagenic.
PHARMACEUTICAL PARTICULARS
6
6.1 List of excipients
Microcrystalline cellulose Magnesium Stearate Hypromellose Titanium Dioxide (E171)
6.2 Incompatibilities
Not applicable
6.3 Shelf life
3 years
6.4 Special precautions for storage
Do not store above 25 °C. Store in the original package.
6.5 Nature and contents of container
Polyamide/Aluminium/PVC/Aluminium blisters containing 10 tablets. Blisters packaged into outer container to give total of 30, 60 or 100 tablets.
6.6 Special precautions for disposal
No special requirements
7 MARKETING AUTHORISATION HOLDER
Bristol Laboratories Limited Unit 3, Canalside, Northbridge Road,
Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 1EG
UK.
8 MARKETING AUTHORISATION NUMBER(S)
PL 17907/0029
9 DATE OF FIRST AUTHORISATION/RENEWAL OF THE AUTHORISATION
06/03/2007 / 12/10/2011
10 DATE OF REVISION OF THE TEXT
04/12/2015