IVABRADINE VIR 5 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS

How does Ivabradina work?

Ivabradina works mainly by reducing the heart rate by some beats per minute. This reduces the heart's need for oxygen, especially in situations where angina attacks are more likely to occur. In this way, ivabradina helps control and reduce the number of angina attacks.

Additionally, since elevated heart rate negatively affects the functioning of the heart and vital prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure, the specific heart rate-lowering action of ivabradina helps improve heart function and vital prognosis in these patients.

2. What you need to know before you take Ivabradina Vir

Do not take Ivabradina tablets

• if you are allergic to ivabradina or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6);
• if your resting heart rate before treatment is too slow (below 70 beats per minute);
• if you have cardiogenic shock (a heart problem treated in the hospital);
• if you have a heart rhythm disorder;
• if you are having a heart attack;
• if you have very low blood pressure;
• if you have unstable angina (a severe type of angina that occurs very frequently with or without exercise);
• if you have recently worsened heart failure;
• if your heart rate is exclusively determined by your pacemaker;
• if you have severe liver problems;
• if you are taking medications for the treatment of fungal infections (such as ketoconazole, itraconazole), antibiotics of the macrolide group (such as josamycin, clarithromycin, telithromycin, or erythromycin administered orally), medications for the treatment of HIV (such as nelfinavir, ritonavir), or nefazodone (a medication for the treatment of depression) or diltiazem, verapamil (used for the treatment of high blood pressure or angina pectoris);
• if you are a woman of childbearing age and do not use reliable contraceptive methods;
• if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant;
• if you are breastfeeding.

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take Ivabradina tablets:

• if you have heart rhythm disorders (such as irregular heartbeat, palpitations, increased chest pain) or sustained atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heartbeat), or an electrocardiogram (ECG) anomaly called "QT prolongation syndrome",
• if you have symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, or difficulty breathing (this may mean that your heart is beating too slowly),
• if you have symptoms of atrial fibrillation (an unusually high resting pulse rate (above 110 beats per minute) or irregular, without any apparent reason, making it difficult to measure).
• if you have had a recent stroke (brain attack),
• if you have mild to moderate low blood pressure,
• if you have uncontrolled blood pressure, especially after a change in your antihypertensive treatment,
• if you have severe heart failure or heart failure with an ECG anomaly called "branch block",
• if you have chronic eye retinal disease,
• if you have moderate liver problems,
• if you have severe kidney problems.

If you meet any of these conditions, consult your doctor immediately before or during treatment with Ivabradina tablets.

Children

Ivabradina tablets are not intended for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Using Ivabradina tablets with other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines.

Make sure to inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines, as a dose adjustment of Ivabradina tablets or monitoring may be necessary:

• fluconazole (an antifungal medicine)
• rifampicin (an antibiotic)
• barbiturates (for sleep problems or epilepsy)
• phenytoin (for epilepsy)
• Hypericum perforatumor St. John's Wort (a medicinal plant for the treatment of depression).
• Medicines that prolong the QT interval for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders or other conditions:
• • quinidine, disopyramide, ibutilide, sotalol, amiodarone (for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders)
  • bepridil (for the treatment of angina pectoris)
  • certain types of medications for the treatment of anxiety, schizophrenia, or other psychoses (such as pimozide, ziprasidone, sertindol)
  • antimalarial medications (such as mefloquine or halofantrine)
  • intravenous erythromycin (an antibiotic)
  • pentamidine (an antiparasitic medication)
  • cisapride (for gastroesophageal reflux).
• Certain types of diuretics that can cause a reduction in potassium levels in the blood, such as furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide (used to treat edema, high blood pressure).

Taking Ivabradina tablets with food and drinks

Avoid grapefruit juice during treatment with Ivabradina tablets.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Do not take Ivabradina tablets if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (see "Do not take Ivabradina tablets").

If you are pregnant and have taken Ivabradina tablets, consult your doctor.

Do not take Ivabradina tablets if you are of childbearing age unless you use reliable contraceptive methods (see "Do not take Ivabradina tablets").

Do not take Ivabradina tablets if you are breastfeeding (see "Do not take Ivabradina tablets"). Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, as breastfeeding should be discontinued if you are taking Ivabradina tablets.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.

Driving and using machines

Ivabradina tablets may cause transient visual phenomena (a brief increase in brightness, usually caused by sudden changes in light intensity). If this happens, be careful when driving or using machinery in situations where sudden changes in light intensity may occur, especially when driving at night.

This medicine contains lactose

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

3. How to take Ivabradina Vir

Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medicine indicated by your doctor or pharmacist. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

Ivabradina tablets should be taken with breakfast and dinner.

If you are being treated for stable angina pectoris

The initial dose should not exceed one Ivabradina 5 mg tablet twice a day. If you still have symptoms of angina and if you have tolerated the 5 mg twice a day dose well, the dose may be increased. The maintenance dose should not exceed 7.5 mg twice a day. Your doctor will prescribe the correct dose for you. The usual dose is one tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening. In some cases (e.g., if you are an elderly patient), your doctor may prescribe half the dose, i.e., half a 5 mg Ivabradina tablet (corresponding to 2.5 mg of Ivabradina) in the morning and half a 5 mg tablet in the evening.

If you are being treated for chronic heart failure

The recommended initial dose is one Ivabradina 5 mg tablet twice a day, which may be increased if necessary to one Ivabradina 7.5 mg tablet twice a day. Your doctor will decide the suitable dose for you. The usual dose is one tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening. In some cases (e.g., if you are an elderly patient), your doctor may prescribe half the dose, i.e., half a 5 mg Ivabradina tablet (corresponding to 2.5 mg of Ivabradina) in the morning and half a 5 mg tablet in the evening.

If you take more Ivabradina tablets than you should

An overdose of Ivabradina tablets may make you feel tired or have difficulty breathing because your heart is beating too slowly. If this happens, contact your doctor immediately.

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 ingested.

If you forget to take Ivabradina tablets

If you forget to take a dose of Ivabradina tablets, take the next dose at the scheduled time. Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses.

The printed calendar on the blister pack containing the tablets will help you remember when you last took an Ivabradina tablet.

If you stop taking Ivabradina tablets

Generally, treatment for angina pectoris or chronic heart failure is for life, so you should consult your doctor before stopping this medicine.

If you think the action of Ivabradina tablets is too strong or too weak, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

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.

The frequency of the possible side effects listed below is defined using the following system:

Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people.

Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people.

Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people.

Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people.

Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people.

Frequency not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data.

The most common adverse reactions with this medicine are dose-dependent and related to its mechanism of action:

Very common:

Transient visual phenomena (brief moments of increased brightness, usually caused by sudden changes in light intensity). They can also be described as a halo, flashes of color, image decomposition, or multiple images. These usually appear during the first two months of treatment, after which they may occur repeatedly and resolve during or after treatment.

Common:

Modification of heart function (symptoms are a slowing of the heart rate). This occurs especially in the first 2 to 3 months after starting treatment.

Other side effects have also been reported:

Common:

Irregular rapid heart contraction, sensation of abnormal heartbeat, uncontrolled blood pressure, headache, dizziness, and blurred vision (cloudy vision).

Uncommon:

Palpitations and extra heartbeats, sensation of dizziness (nausea), constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sensation of spinning (vertigo), difficulty breathing (dyspnea), muscle cramps, changes in laboratory tests: elevated blood uric acid levels, excess eosinophils (a type of white blood cell), and elevated creatinine levels in blood (a muscle degradation product), skin rash, angioedema (such as inflammation of the face, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing), low blood pressure, fainting, feeling of tiredness, feeling of weakness, abnormal electrocardiogram, double vision, visual disturbance.

Rare:

Hives, itching, skin redness, malaise.

Very rare:

Irregular heartbeats.

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is possible side effects 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 side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Ivabradina Vir

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

This medicine does not require special storage conditions.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after EXP. The expiry date is the last day of the month shown.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

Composition of Ivabradina Vir tablets

• The active substance is ivabradina (as hydrochloride). One film-coated tablet contains 5 mg of ivabradina (equivalent to 5.39 mg of ivabradina as hydrochloride).
• The other ingredients in the tablet core are: microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, sodium croscarmellose, anhydrous colloidal silica, magnesium stearate, hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol (E1521), magnesium stearate (E470b), and glycerol (E422).

Appearance of the product and pack contents

Ivabradina VIR 5 mg tablets are film-coated, white, oval, biconvex, scored, and engraved with "5" on one side and smooth on the other.

The tablets are presented in calendar packs (aluminum/OPA/PVC-aluminum blisters) of 56 tablets.

Marketing authorization holder and manufacturer: Marketing authorization holder:

Industria Química y Farmacéutica VIR, S.A.

C/ Laguna 66-70, Polígono Industrial URTINSA II

28923 Alcorcón (Madrid)

Spain

Manufacturer:

Genepharm S.A.

18 km Marathon Avenue,

153 51 Pallini Attikis

Greece

Date of last revision of this leaflet: March 2017

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/.