Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Abiraterona Stada 500 mg film-coated tablets EFG
abiraterone acetate
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
Abiraterona Stada contains the active substance abiraterone acetate. It is used for the treatment of prostate cancer in adult men that has spread to other parts of the body. Abiraterone makes your body stop producing testosterone; this can slow down the growth of prostate cancer.
When abiraterone is prescribed in the early stages of the disease and there is still a response to hormonal treatment, it is used together with a treatment to reduce testosterone (androgen deprivation therapy).
When you take this medicine, your doctor will also prescribe another medicine called prednisone or prednisolone to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, fluid retention, or low potassium levels in your blood.
Do not take Abiraterona Stada
varones.
Do not take this medicine if any of the above applies to you. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with this medicine:
Tell your doctor if you have been told you have any heart or blood vessel disorder, including heart rhythm problems (arrhythmia), or if you are being treated with medicines for these disorders.
Tell your doctor if you have yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or severe nausea or vomiting, as these may be signs or symptoms of liver problems. Rarely, liver failure (called acute hepatic failure) may occur, which can be life-threatening.
A decrease in the number of red blood cells, reduced sexual desire, and cases of muscle weakness and/or muscle pain may occur.
Abiraterone should not be given in combination with Ra-223 due to a possible increased risk of bone fractures or death.
If you plan to take Ra-223 after treatment with abiraterone and prednisone/prednisolone, you should wait 5 days before starting treatment with Ra-223.
If you are unsure if any of the above applies to you, consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
Blood tests
Abiraterone may affect your liver even if you do not have any symptoms. While you are taking this medicine, your doctor will perform regular blood tests to check for any effects on your liver.
Children and adolescents
This medicine should not be used in children or adolescents. If a child or adolescent accidentally ingests abiraterone, they should go to the hospital immediately and bring this leaflet with them to show to the emergency doctor.
Other medicines and Abiraterona Stada
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicine.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines. This is important because abiraterone can increase the effects of certain medicines, including heart medicines, tranquilizers, some diabetes medicines, herbal medicines (e.g., St. John's Wort), and others. Your doctor may consider changing the dose of these medicines. Additionally, some medicines may increase or decrease the effects of abiraterone, which can lead to side effects or reduced effectiveness.
Androgen deprivation therapy may increase the risk of heart rhythm problems. Tell your doctor if you are being treated with medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems (e.g., quinidine, procainamide, amiodarone, and sotalol); or medicines that increase the risk of heart rhythm problems [e.g., methadone (used for pain relief and as part of drug addiction detoxification), moxifloxacin (an antibiotic), antipsychotics (used for severe mental illnesses)].
Consult your doctor if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
Abiraterona Stada with food
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Abiraterona is not indicated in women.
Driving and using machines
It is unlikely that this medicine will affect your ability to drive or use tools or machines.
Abiraterona Stada contains lactose and sodium
If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to some sugars, consult them before taking this medicine.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per tablet; this is essentially "sodium-free".
Follow the instructions for administration of this medicine exactly as indicated by your doctor or pharmacist. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
How much to take
The recommended dose is 1,000 mg (two tablets) once a day.
How to take this medicine
It is also possible that your doctor may prescribe other medicines while you are taking abiraterone and prednisone or prednisolone.
If you take more Abiraterona Stada than you should
If you take more than you should, consult your doctor or go to the hospital 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 Abiraterona Stada
If you stop taking Abiraterona Stada
Do not stop taking abiraterone or prednisone or prednisolone unless your doctor tells you to.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Stop taking abiraterone and consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:
These may be signs of low potassium levels in your blood.
Other side effects are:
Very common(may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
Fluid retention in the legs or feet, low potassium levels in the blood, elevated liver function tests, high blood pressure, urinary tract infection, diarrhea.
Common(may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
High levels of fats in the blood, chest pain, irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation), heart failure, rapid heartbeat, severe infections called sepsis, bone fractures, indigestion, blood in the urine, skin rash.
Uncommon(may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Adrenal gland problems (related to problems with salt and water), abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia), muscle weakness and/or muscle pain.
Rare(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Lung irritation (also called allergic alveolitis).
Liver failure (also called acute hepatic failure).
Not known(frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
Heart attack, changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG) (prolonged QT), and severe allergic reactions with difficulty swallowing or breathing, face, lips, tongue, or throat swelling, or itchy rash.
Bone density loss may occur in men receiving treatment for prostate cancer. Abiraterone in combination with prednisone or prednisolone may increase this bone density loss.
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if it is possible that they are not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly to the Spanish Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency (AEMPS) through the website: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Composition of Abiraterona Stada
Core of the tablet: Croscarmellose sodium, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Povidone (E1201), Microcrystalline cellulose (E460), Lactose monohydrate, Colloidal anhydrous silica (E551), Magnesium stearate (E470b) (see section 2, "Abiraterona Stada contains lactose and sodium").
Coating:Polyvinyl alcohol (E1203), Titanium dioxide (E171), Macrogol (E1521), Talc (E553b), Iron oxide red (E172), Iron oxide black (E172).
Appearance of the product and pack contents
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder
Laboratorio STADA, S.L.
Frederic Mompou, 5
08960 Sant Just Desvern (Barcelona)
Spain
info@stada.es
Manufacturer
Remedica Ltd
Aharnon Street, Limassol Industrial Estate,
3056 Limassol
Cyprus
or
STADA Arzneimittel AG
Stadastrasse 2 – 18
61118 Bad Vilbel
Germany
or
STADA Arzneimittel GmbH
Muthgasse 36/2
1190 Vienna
Austria
Date of last revision of this leaflet:August 2024
Detailed and up-to-date information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/