Package Leaflet: Information for the Patient
AGAMREE 40 mg/ml Oral Suspension
vamorolone
This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring, which will allow for quick identification of new safety information. You can help by reporting any side effects you may get. The last section of section 4 will tell you how to report side effects.
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
AGAMREE is a steroid anti-inflammatory medicine that contains the active substance vamorolone.
AGAMREE is used to treat patients from 4 years of age with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD is a genetic disease caused by defects in the dystrophin gene, which normally produces a protein that keeps muscles healthy and strong. In patients with DMD, this protein is not produced and the body is unable to develop new muscle cells or replace damaged muscle. This causes the muscles in the body to weaken over time.
AGAMREE is used to stabilize or improve muscle strength in patients with DMD.
Do not take AGAMREE
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor before you start taking AGAMREE
Endocrine disorders: adrenal insufficiency
AGAMREE reduces the amount of a hormone called cortisol that your body can produce. This is called adrenal insufficiency.
IMPORTANT: The AGAMREE package includes a patient alert card that contains important safety information about adrenal crises. Always carry this card with you.
Weight gain
Patients with altered thyroid function
Ophthalmic effects
Increased risk of infections
AGAMREE may reduce your natural resistance to infections.
Diabetes mellitus
Vaccination
Thromboembolic episodes
Liver failure
Children
Do not give AGAMREE to children under 4 years of age, as this medicine has not been tested in this group of patients.
Other medicines and AGAMREE
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
If you need to receive a vaccine, consult your doctor first (see section 2: "Do not take AGAMREE"). If you are going to be vaccinated with certain types of vaccines (live or attenuated vaccines), you should be vaccinated at least 6 weeks before starting treatment with AGAMREE, as these vaccines may trigger the infection they are supposed to prevent.
AGAMREE with food and drinks
Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice during treatment with AGAMREE, as they may affect the effect of the medicine.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
If you are pregnant, you should not take AGAMREE unless your doctor tells you to.
If you are a woman who could become pregnant, you should use effective birth control methods during treatment with AGAMREE.
Animal studies have shown that long-term treatment with AGAMREE may affect male and female fertility.
Driving and using machines
Consult your doctor if the disease you are suffering from allows you to drive vehicles, including bicycles, and use machines safely. AGAMREE is not expected to affect your ability to drive, ride a bicycle, or use machines.
AGAMREE contains sodium benzoate and sodium
AGAMREE contains 1 mg of sodium benzoate (E211) per ml.
AGAMREE contains less than 23 mg of sodium per 7.5 ml; this is, essentially, "sodium-free".
Follow the instructions for administration of this medicine exactly as told by your doctor or pharmacist. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
The recommended dose of AGAMREE depends on your body weight and age.
If the patient is 4 years or older and weighs less than 40 kg, the dose is usually 6 mg per kg of body weight, given once a day.
If the patient is 4 years or older and weighs 40 kg or more, the dose is usually 240 mg, taken once a day.
If you experience certain side effects while taking AGAMREE (see section 4), your doctor may reduce the dose or interrupt treatment temporarily or permanently. Your doctor may reduce the dose if you have liver disease.
This medicine is taken by mouth. AGAMREE can be taken with or without food (see section 2 "AGAMREE with food and drinks").
To extract the medicine, use one of the oral syringes included in the package. Use only these oral syringes to measure the dose. Your doctor will tell you how much to extract with the syringe for your daily dose.
Caregivers should assist with the administration of AGAMREE, especially when it comes to using oral syringes to measure and administer the prescribed dose.
Shake the bottle well before extracting the medicine with the syringe. Fill the oral syringe with the prescribed dose and then slowly pour the contents of the syringe into the mouth. Read the instructions below for more information on how to measure and take the dose correctly. Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how to use the oral syringe.
After taking the prescribed dose, disassemble the syringe, wash the syringe and plunger under cold running water, and dry it in the air. Keep the syringe clean in the package until the next use. The oral syringe should only be used for a maximum of 45 days. After this time, discard it and use the second syringe included in the package. If you have any other questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
HOW TO PREPARE THE DOSE OF AGAMREE ORAL SUSPENSION
Before taking/administering AGAMREE | ||
Step 1 | Make sure the child-resistant cap is properly protected and shake the bottle well. | |
Step 2 | Remove the child-resistant cap by pressing it firmly downwards and turning it counterclockwise. | |
Step 3 | Firmly insert the adapter into the bottle. This should be done the first time you open the bottle. The adapter will then remain in the bottle. If the adapter falls out, wash it with cold running water and dry it in the air for at least 2 hours. | |
Preparing a dose of AGAMREE | ||
Step 4 | Keep the bottle in a vertical position. Before inserting the tip of the oral syringe into the adapter, press the plunger down until it stops at the tip of the syringe. Insert the tip firmly into the adapter opening. | |
Step 5 | Keep the syringe in place and carefully turn the bottle upside down. Slowly pull the plunger until the desired amount of medicine is drawn into the syringe. If there are large air bubbles in the syringe (as shown in the figure on the left) or if you have drawn an incorrect dose of AGAMREE, insert the tip of the syringe firmly into the adapter while the bottle is in a vertical position. Push the plunger down to return AGAMREE to the bottle and repeat steps 4 to 6. | |
Step 6 | Check the dose in milliliters (ml) as prescribed by your doctor. Find the graduation to read the dose in milliliters (ml) on the plunger, as shown in the image on the right. On the scale represented, each line corresponds to 0.1 ml. In the example, a dose of 1 ml is shown. Do not take more than the prescribed daily dose. | |
Step 7 | Turn the bottle to its right side and carefully remove the syringe from the bottle. Do not hold the syringe by the plunger, as it may come off. | |
Administration of AGAMREE | ||
Step 8 | Do not mix the medicine with any liquid before administration. The patient should be in an upright position when taking the medicine. Empty the syringe directly into the mouth. Gently press the plunger to empty the syringe. Do not push it forcefully. To avoid the risk of choking, make sure the medicine does not go directly to the back of the mouth or throat. | |
After administering AGAMREE | ||
Step 9 | Close the bottle with the child-resistant cap after each use. | |
Step 10 | Disassemble the oral syringe, rinse it with cold running water, and dry it in the air before its next use. Each oral syringe supplied with AGAMREE can be used for a maximum of 45 days. |
If you take more AGAMREE than you should
If you take too much AGAMREE, contact your doctor or a hospital for advice. Show the AGAMREE package and this leaflet. Medical treatment may be necessary.
If you forget to take AGAMREE
Do not take more AGAMREE and do not repeat the dose.
Take the next dose as you would normally.
Talk to your healthcare professional if you are concerned.
If you stop taking AGAMREE
Take AGAMREE for as long as your doctor tells you. Consult your doctor before stopping treatment with AGAMREE, as it is necessary to gradually reduce the dose to avoid adverse reactions.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them.
Treatment with AGAMREE causes adrenal insufficiency. Consult your doctor before starting to take AGAMREE (see section 2 for more information).
The following adverse effects have been reported with AGAMREE with a category of very frequent (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
The following adverse effects have been reported with a frequency category (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Reporting of Adverse Effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect that is not listed in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: www.notificaRAM.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiration date that appears on the box and on the label of the vial after "EXP". The expiration date is the last day of the indicated month.
This medicine does not require any special storage temperature.
After opening AGAMREE for the first time, store the vial in a vertical position in the refrigerator (between 2 °C and 8 °C). The medicine can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 months.
Discard the unused medicine within 3 months of the first opening of the vial.
Medicines should not be thrown away through drains or into the trash. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medicines that are no longer needed. This way, you will help protect the environment.
What AGAMREE contains
The active ingredient is vamorolone. Each ml of suspension contains 40 mg of vamorolone.
The other components are: citric acid (monohydrate) (E 330), disodium phosphate (E 339), glycerol (E 422), orange flavor, purified water, sodium benzoate (E 211) (see section 2, "AGAMREE contains sodium benzoate"), sucralose (E 955), xanthan gum (E 415), and hydrochloric acid (for pH adjustment). See section 2 "AGAMREE contains sodium benzoate and sodium". Note: There are no image placeholders in the provided HTML code, so there is nothing to translate in that regard. The translation provided is complete and accurate, following the provided guidelines.