EPICAR 20 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS

Contents of the pack

1. What is Epicar and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before you take Epicar
3. How to take Epicar
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage of Epicar
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What is Epicar and what is it used for

Epicar contains the active substance rivaroxaban.

Epicar is used in adults to:

• prevent the formation of blood clots in the brain (stroke) or in other blood vessels of the body if you have a type of irregular heartbeat called non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
• treat blood clots in the veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis) and in the blood vessels of the lungs (pulmonary embolism), and to prevent these blood clots from happening again in the veins and/or lungs.

Rivaroxaban is used in children and adolescents under 18 years of age and with a body weight of 30 kg or more to:

• treat and prevent blood clots in the veins or in the lungs after at least 5 days of initial treatment with injectable medicines used to treat blood clots.

Rivaroxaban belongs to a group of medicines called antithrombotic agents. It works by blocking a factor in the blood clotting process (factor Xa) and thus reduces the tendency of the blood to form clots.

2. What you need to know before you take Epicar

Do not take Epicar

• if you are allergic to rivaroxaban or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
• if you have a condition that increases the risk of bleeding, such as:
• if you have a disease or condition that affects an organ in your body and increases the risk of serious bleeding (e.g. stomach ulcer, recent injury or bleeding in the brain, or recent brain or eye surgery)
• if you are taking medicines to prevent blood clots (e.g. warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban, or heparin), except when switching to this medicine or when being treated with heparin through a venous or arterial catheter to prevent it from becoming blocked
• if you have a liver disease that increases the risk of bleeding
• if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Do not take Epicar and inform your doctorif any of these apply to you.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking rivaroxaban.

Be careful with Epicar

• if you have an increased risk of bleeding, such as:
• severe kidney problems in adults and moderate or severe kidney problems in children and adolescents, as kidney function may affect the amount of medicine that works in your body
• if you are taking other medicines to prevent blood clots (e.g. warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban, or heparin), when switching to another anticoagulant treatment or while receiving heparin through a venous or arterial catheter to prevent it from becoming blocked (see section "Other medicines and Epicar")
• bleeding disorders
• very high blood pressure that is not controlled by medical treatment
• diseases of the stomach or intestines that may cause bleeding, such as inflammation of the stomach or intestines, inflammation of the esophagus (throat), e.g. due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (a condition in which stomach acid rises up into the esophagus), or tumors in the stomach, intestines, genital tract, or urinary tract
• a problem in the blood vessels of the back of the eyes (retinopathy)
• a lung disease in which the bronchi are dilated and filled with pus (bronchiectasis) or previous lung bleeding

• if you have a heart valve replacement
• if you know you have a condition called antiphospholipid syndrome (a disorder of the immune system that increases the risk of blood clots), inform your doctor to decide if it may be necessary to modify the treatment.
• if your doctor determines that your blood pressure is unstable or you are scheduled to receive another treatment or undergo surgery to remove a blood clot from your lungs.

Tell your doctor if you have any of these conditionsbefore taking rivaroxaban. Your doctor will decide if you should be treated with this medicine and if you should be kept under closer observation.

If you need to have surgery

• It is very important to take rivaroxaban before and after surgery, exactly at the times your doctor has indicated.
• If your operation requires the insertion of a catheter or injection into the spine (e.g. for epidural or spinal anesthesia, or pain relief):

• It is very important to take rivaroxaban before and after the injection or removal of the catheter, exactly at the times your doctor has indicated. Inform your doctor immediately if you experience numbness or weakness in your legs or problems with your intestines or bladder after anesthesia, as urgent attention is needed.

Children and adolescents

Rivaroxaban tablets are not recommended in children with a body weight below 30 kg.There is not enough information about the use of rivaroxaban in children and adolescents for the indications in adults.

Other medicines and Epicar

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used, or might use any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription.

If you are taking

• any medicine for a fungal infection (e.g. fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole), unless it is only applied to the skin
• tablets with ketoconazole (used to treat Cushing's syndrome, in which the body produces too much cortisol)
• any medicine for bacterial infections (e.g. clarithromycin, erythromycin)
• any antiviral medicine for HIV/AIDS (e.g. ritonavir)
• other medicines to reduce blood clotting (e.g. enoxaparin, clopidogrel, or vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin or acenocoumarol)
• anti-inflammatory medicines or pain relievers (e.g. naproxen or acetylsalicylic acid)
• dronedarone, a medicine for the treatment of irregular heartbeat
• certain medicines for the treatment of depression (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs))

If any of the above applies to you, tell your doctorbefore taking rivaroxaban, as the effect of rivaroxaban may be increased. Your doctor will decide if you should be treated with this medicine and if you should be kept under closer observation.

If your doctor considers that you have a higher risk of developing stomach or intestinal ulcers, he/she will recommend that you also use a treatment to prevent ulcers.

If you are taking

• any medicine for the treatment of epilepsy (phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital)
• St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), a herbal medicine for the treatment of depression
• rifampicin, an antibiotic

If any of the above applies to you, tell your doctorbefore taking rivaroxaban, as the effect of rivaroxaban may be decreased. Your doctor will decide if you should be treated with rivaroxaban and if you should be kept under closer observation.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Do not take rivaroxaban if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. If there is a possibility that you may become pregnant, use a reliable contraceptive while taking rivaroxaban. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, inform your doctor immediately, who will decide how you should be treated.

Driving and using machines

Rivaroxaban may cause dizziness (common side effect) or fainting (uncommon side effect) (see section 4, "Possible side effects"). You should not drive, ride a bicycle, or use tools or machines if you are affected by these symptoms.

Epicar contains lactose and sodium

If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to some sugars, consult with him before taking this medicine.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per tablet; this is essentially "sodium-free".

3. How to take Epicar

Follow exactly the instructions of administration of this medicine indicated by your doctor. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

You should take rivaroxaban with food.

Swallow the tablets, preferably with water.

If you have difficulty swallowing the whole tablet, consult your doctor about other ways to take rivaroxaban. The tablet can be crushed and mixed with water or apple sauce, immediately before taking it. Then, take food.

If necessary, your doctor may also administer the crushed rivaroxaban tablet through a gastric tube.

What dose to take

• Adults

• For preventing the formation of blood clots in the brain (stroke) or in other blood vessels of the body The recommended dose is one rivaroxaban 20 mg tablet once a day. If you have kidney problems, the dose may be reduced to one rivaroxaban 15 mg tablet once a day.

If you need to undergo a procedure to treat blocked blood vessels in your heart (called percutaneous coronary intervention - PCI with stent insertion), there is limited evidence to reduce the dose to one rivaroxaban 15 mg tablet once a day (or to one rivaroxaban 10 mg tablet once a day if your kidneys do not work properly) in addition to an antiplatelet medicine like clopidogrel.

• For treating blood clots in the veins of the legs and in the blood vessels of the lungs, and for preventing these blood clots from happening again The recommended dose is one rivaroxaban 15 mg tablet twice a day for the first 3 weeks. For treatment after 3 weeks, the recommended dose is one rivaroxaban 20 mg tablet once a day. After at least 6 months of treatment for blood clots, your doctor may decide to continue treatment with one rivaroxaban 10 mg tablet once a day or one rivaroxaban 20 mg tablet once a day. If you have kidney problems and are taking one rivaroxaban 20 mg tablet once a day, your doctor may decide to reduce the dose of the treatment to one rivaroxaban 15 mg tablet once a day after 3 weeks if the risk of bleeding is higher than the risk of having another blood clot.

• Children and adolescents

The dose of rivaroxaban depends on body weight and will be calculated by your doctor.

• The recommended dose for children and adolescents with a body weight of 30 kg to less than 50 kgis one rivaroxaban 15 mgtablet once a day.
• The recommended dose for children and adolescents with a body weight of 50 kgor more is one rivaroxaban 20 mgtablet once a day.

Take each dose of rivaroxaban with a drink (e.g. water or juice) during a meal. Take the tablets every day at approximately the same time. Consider setting an alarm to remind you.

For parents or caregivers: observe the child to ensure they take the whole dose.

Since the dose of rivaroxaban is based on body weight, it is important to attend scheduled visits with your doctor, as it may be necessary to adjust the dose as the weight changes.

Never adjust the dose of rivaroxaban on your own. Your doctor will adjust the dose if necessary.

Do not split the tablet to try to get a fraction of the tablet dose. You can crush the rivaroxaban tablet and mix it with water or apple sauce immediately before taking it. Take some food after taking this mixture. If necessary, your doctor may also administer the crushed rivaroxaban tablet through a gastric tube.

If you spit out the dose or vomit

• less than 30 minutes after taking rivaroxaban, take a new dose.
• more than 30 minutes after taking rivaroxaban, do nottake a new dose. In this case, take the next dose of Rivaroxaban at the usual time.

Call your doctor if you spit out the dose or vomit repeatedly after taking rivaroxaban.

When to take Epicar

Take the tablet every day, until your doctor tells you to stop.

Try to take a tablet at the same time every day, to help you remember.

Your doctor will decide how long you should keep taking the treatment.

To prevent the formation of blood clots in the brain (stroke) or in other blood vessels: If it is necessary to normalize your heartbeat through a procedure called cardioversion, take rivaroxaban at the times your doctor has indicated.

If you forget to take Epicar

• Adults, children, and adolescents:

If you are taking one 20 mg or one 15 mg tablet oncea day, and you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take more than one tablet in one day to make up for a forgotten dose. Take the next tablet the next day and, after that, take one tablet every day.

• Adults:

If you are taking one 15 mg tablet twicea day, and you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take more than two 15 mg tablets in one day. If you forget to take a dose, you can take two 15 mg tablets at the same time, for a total of two tablets (30 mg) in one day. The next day, you should go back to taking one 15 mg tablet twice a day.

If you take more Epicar than you should

Call your doctor immediately if you have taken too many rivaroxaban tablets. Taking too much rivaroxaban increases the risk of bleeding.

In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone 91 562 04 20, indicating the medicine and the amount taken.

If you stop taking Epicar

Do not stop taking rivaroxaban without talking to your doctor first, because rivaroxaban prevents the development of a serious condition.

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

4. Possible Adverse Effects

Like all medicines, rivaroxaban can cause adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them.

Like other similar medicines to reduce blood clot formation, rivaroxaban can cause bleeding, which can endanger the patient's life. Excessive bleeding can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock). In some cases, the bleeding may not be evident.

Tell your doctor immediately if you suffer from any of the following adverse effects:

• Signs of bleeding

• bleeding in the brain or inside the skull (symptoms may include headache, weakness on one side of the body, vomiting, seizures, decreased level of consciousness, and stiffness in the neck. This is a serious medical emergency. Go to the doctor immediately!)
• prolonged or excessive bleeding
• exceptional weakness, fatigue, paleness, dizziness, headache, unexplained swelling, difficulty breathing, chest pain or angina

Your doctor will decide to keep you under closer observation or modify your treatment.

• Signs of severe skin reactions

• intensive skin rashes that spread, blisters, or lesions on the mucous membranes, e.g., in the mouth or eyes (Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis).
• drug reaction that causes rash, fever, inflammation of internal organs, blood abnormalities, and systemic disease (DRESS syndrome).

The frequency of these adverse effects is very rare (up to 1 in 10,000 people).

• Signs of severe allergic reactions

• swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; difficulty swallowing; hives and difficulty breathing; sudden drop in blood pressure.

The frequencies of severe allergic reactions are very rare (anaphylactic reactions, including anaphylactic shock; may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people) and uncommon (angioedema and allergic edema; may affect up to 1 in 100 people).

General list of possible adverse effects found in adults, children, and adolescents

Frequent(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• decrease in red blood cells that can cause paleness and weakness or difficulty breathing
• stomach or intestinal bleeding, urogenital hemorrhage (including blood in the urine and heavy menstrual bleeding), nasal bleeding, gum bleeding
• bleeding in the eye (including bleeding in the white part of the eye)
• bleeding into a tissue or cavity of the body (hematoma, bruising)
• bloody cough
• bleeding from the skin or under the skin
• bleeding after surgery
• oozing of blood or liquid from a surgical wound
• swelling of the limbs
• pain in the limbs
• alteration of kidney function (may be seen in tests performed by the doctor)
• fever
• stomach pain, indigestion, dizziness or feeling of dizziness, constipation, diarrhea
• low blood pressure (symptoms may be dizziness or fainting when standing up)
• general decrease in strength and energy (weakness, fatigue), headache, dizziness
• rash, itching of the skin
• blood tests may show an increase in some liver enzymes

Uncommon(may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• bleeding in the brain or inside the skull (see above, signs of bleeding)
• bleeding into a joint, causing pain and swelling
• thrombocytopenia (low platelet count, cells that help blood clotting)
• allergic reaction, including skin allergic reaction
• alteration of liver function (may be seen in tests performed by the doctor)
• blood tests may show an increase in bilirubin, some pancreatic or liver enzymes, or platelet count
• fainting
• feeling of discomfort
• increased heart rate
• dry mouth
• hives

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

• bleeding into a muscle
• cholestasis (decrease in bile flow), hepatitis, including traumatic hepatocellular injury (inflammation or liver damage)
• yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• localized swelling
• blood accumulation (hematoma) in the groin as a complication after cardiac surgery in which a catheter is inserted into the leg artery (pseudoaneurysm)

Frequency not known(cannot be estimated from available data)

• renal failure after severe bleeding
• bleeding in the kidney, sometimes with blood in the urine, which causes the kidneys to malfunction (anticoagulant-related nephropathy)
• increased pressure in the muscles of the legs or arms after bleeding, causing pain, swelling, altered sensation, numbness, or paralysis (hemorrhagic compartment syndrome)

Adverse effects in children and adolescents

In general, the adverse effects observed in children and adolescents treated with rivaroxaban were similar to those observed in adults and their severity was mainly mild to moderate.

Adverse effects that were more frequently observed in children and adolescents:

Very frequent(may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• headache
• fever
• nasal bleeding
• vomiting

Frequent(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• accelerated heartbeats
• blood tests may show an increase in bilirubin (bile pigment)
• thrombocytopenia (low platelet count, cells that help blood clotting)
• heavy menstrual bleeding

Uncommon(may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• blood tests may show an increase in a subcategory of bilirubin (direct bilirubin, bile pigment)

Reporting of adverse effects

If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is an adverse effect that is not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Epicar

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

Do not use this medicine after the expiration date that appears on the packaging and on each blister or vial, after "EXP". The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.

This medicine does not require special storage conditions.

Crushed tablets

Crushed tablets are stable in water or apple puree for up to 4 hours.

Medicines should not be thrown away through wastewater or household waste. Deposit the packaging and medicines that you no longer need at the SIGRE point in the pharmacy. In case of doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medicines that you no longer need. This way, you will help protect the environment.

6. Package contents and additional information

Epicar composition

• The active ingredient is rivaroxaban

Each Epicar 15 mg tablet contains 15 mg of rivaroxaban.

Each Epicar 20 mg tablet contains 20 mg of rivaroxaban.

• The other components are

Epicar 15 mg film-coated tablets EFG:

Tablet core: microcrystalline cellulose, sodium croscarmellose, lactose monohydrate, hypromellose, sodium lauryl sulfate, magnesium stearate, calcium silicate, and cornstarch. See section 2 "Epicar contains lactose and sodium".

Tablet film coating: macrogol, hypromellose (E-464), lactose monohydrate, titanium dioxide (E-171), red iron oxide (E-172), yellow iron oxide (E-172), and black iron oxide (E-172).

Epicar 20 mg film-coated tablets EFG:

Tablet core: microcrystalline cellulose, sodium croscarmellose, lactose monohydrate, hypromellose, sodium lauryl sulfate, magnesium stearate, calcium silicate, and cornstarch. See section 2 "Epicar contains lactose and sodium".

Tablet film coating: macrogol, hypromellose (E-464), lactose monohydrate, titanium dioxide (E-171), and red iron oxide (E-172)

Product appearance and package contents

Epicar 15 mg film-coated tablets are dark pink, round, and biconvex.

Epicar 15 mg film-coated tablets are available in packages of 14, 28, and 42 film-coated tablets, with a diameter of 5.0 mm.

Epicar 20 mg film-coated tablets are brown-red, round, and biconvex.

Epicar 20 mg film-coated tablets are available in packages of 28 film-coated tablets, with a diameter of 6.0 mm.

Only some package sizes may be marketed.

Marketing authorization holder

Laboratorios Alter, S.A.

C/ Mateo Inurria 30

28036 Madrid

Spain

Manufacturer

Atlantic Pharma – Produções Farmacêuticas, S.A.

Rua da Tapada Grande, n.º 2

Abrunheira, 2710-089 Sintra

Portugal

This medicine is authorized in the member states of the European Economic Area with the following names:

Spain: Epicar film-coated tablets EFG

Portugal: Epicar film-coated tablets

Date of the last revision of this leaflet: 11/2023

Detailed and updated information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/.