Package Leaflet: Information for the Patient
Agavan 25 mg Tablets EFG
clozapine
Read the entire package leaflet carefully before starting to take this medication, as it contains important information for you.
Contents of the Package Leaflet
The active ingredient of this medication is clozapine, which belongs to a group of medications called antipsychotics (also known as neuroleptics, used to treat specific mental disorders such as psychosis).
Clozapine is used to treat patients with schizophrenia when the use of other medications has not been effective. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that involves disorders of thought, emotional reactions, and behavioral disorders. You can only use this medication if you have already tried at least two other antipsychotic medications, including one of the new atypical antipsychotics to treat schizophrenia, and these medications have not responded or have caused severe side effects that cannot be treated.
Clozapine is also indicated for treating severe thought disorders, emotional reactions, and behavioral disorders that occur in Parkinson's disease, when other medications have not been effective.
Do not take clozapine if:
Tell your doctor and do not take this medication if any of the above circumstances apply to you.
This medication should not be administered to anyone who is unconscious or in a coma.
Warnings and Precautions
The safety measures mentioned in this section are very important. You must comply with them to minimize the risk of severe side effects that can be life-threatening.
Before starting treatment with clozapine, tell your doctor if you have or have had:
Immediately before taking the next dose of clozapine tablets, tell your doctor if:
Medical Exams and Blood Tests
Before starting treatment with clozapine, your doctor will ask you about your medical history and perform a blood test to ensure that your white blood cell count is normal. It is essential to know this, as you need white blood cells to fight infections.
Make sure you have regular blood tests before, during, and after finishing treatment with clozapine.
Blood tests should be performed during 4 weeks after finishing treatment with clozapine. Before starting treatment, your doctor will also perform a physical examination. Your doctor may perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart, but only if it is necessary for you or if you have any special concerns.
If you have liver disorders, you will have periodic liver function tests throughout treatment with clozapine.
If you have high blood sugar levels (diabetes), your doctor may perform periodic checks of your blood sugar levels.
Clozapine can alter blood lipid levels. Clozapine can cause weight gain. Your doctor may monitor your weight and lipid levels.
If you experience mild headache pain, dizziness, or weakness, or clozapine makes you feel this way, be careful when getting up from a sitting or lying position, as this can increase the risk of falls.
If you need to undergo surgery or if you cannot walk for an extended period, tell your doctor that you are taking clozapine. You may be at risk of having a blood clot (thrombosis).
Children and Adolescents Under 16 Years
If you are under 16 years old, you should not take clozapine, as there is not enough information available for its use in this age group.
Use in Elderly Patients (60 Years and Older)
Elderly patients (patients 60 years and older) may be more susceptible to the following side effects during treatment with clozapine: weakness or mild headache after changing position, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, urinary retention, and constipation.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you suffer from a disease called dementia.
Other Medications and Agavan
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or may need to take any other medication, including those purchased without a prescription or herbal remedies. You may need to take a different amount of your medications or different medications.
Do not take clozapine with other medications that prevent the proper functioning of the bone marrow and/or decrease the number of blood cells produced by the body, such as:
These medications increase your risk of developing agranulocitosis (deficit of white blood cells in the blood).
Taking clozapine at the same time as other medications can affect the proper action of clozapine and/or the other medications. Tell your doctor if you intend to take, are taking (even if treatment is about to finish), or have recently stopped taking any of the following medications:
This list is not complete. Your doctor and pharmacist have more information about medications that should be administered with caution or avoided while taking clozapine. They also know if the medications you are taking belong to any of the groups listed above. Discuss this with them.
Taking Agavan with Drinks and Alcohol
During treatment with clozapine, do not drink alcohol.
Tell your doctor if you smoke and how often you consume beverages containing caffeine (coffee, tea, cola). A sudden change in your smoking or caffeine consumption habits can also change the effects of clozapine.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor before using this medication.
Pregnancy
Your doctor will discuss with you the benefits and possible risks of using this medication during pregnancy. Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant during treatment with clozapine.
The following symptoms may appear in newborns of mothers who have used clozapine in the last trimester (the last three months of pregnancy): tremors, muscle stiffness and/or weakness, drowsiness, agitation, breathing problems, and difficulty feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor.
Some women who take medications for mental illnesses have irregular or absent menstrual periods. If this has happened to you, your menstrual period will return to normal when your medication is replaced with clozapine. This means you should use effective contraceptives.
Breastfeeding
During treatment with clozapine, you should not breastfeed your baby. Clozapine, the active substance of clozapine, can pass into breast milk and affect the baby.
Driving and Using Machines
Clozapine can cause fatigue, drowsiness, and seizures, especially at the start of treatment. Therefore, you should avoid driving or operating machinery while you have these symptoms.
Clozapine can produce symptoms such as drowsiness, dizziness, or vision changes, and decrease your reaction ability. These effects, as well as the disease itself, can impair your ability to drive vehicles or operate machines. Therefore, do not drive, operate machines, or engage in other activities that require special attention until your doctor assesses your response to this medication.
This Medication Contains Lactose
If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to certain sugars, consult with them before taking this medication.
To minimize the risk of experiencing epileptic seizures, drowsiness, or hypotension, it is necessary for your doctor to gradually increase the dose. Follow the administration instructions for this medication exactly as indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
It is essential that you do not change the dose or stop taking clozapine without first asking your doctor. Continue taking clozapine for the time your doctor has indicated.
If you are a patient 60 years or older, your doctor may start treatment with a lower dose and increase your dose more gradually, as you may be more susceptible to developing some unexpected adverse reactions. (See section 2 "What you need to know before taking Agavan").
If you cannot achieve the prescribed dose with this tablet presentation, other presentations of this medication are available to achieve the prescribed dose.
Treatment of schizophrenia
Treatment is initiated with 12.5 mg (half a 25 mg tablet) once or twice on the first day, followed by 25 mg once or twice on the second day. Swallow the tablet with the help of a glass of water. If you tolerate it well, your doctor will gradually increase the dose in amounts of 25 or 50 mg over 2 to 3 weeks until reaching a daily dose of 300 mg. It may be necessary to continue increasing the dose in amounts of 50 or 100 mg twice a week, or preferably once a week.
The normal daily dose of clozapine is between 200 and 450 mg, divided into several doses per day. Some people may need higher doses. Doses of up to 900 mg per day are allowed. At daily doses above 450 mg, adverse reactions may increase (particularly seizures). Always take the minimum dose that is effective for you. Most patients should take part of the dose in the morning and another part at night. Your doctor will tell you exactly how to divide your daily dose. If your daily dose does not exceed 200 mg, you can take it as a single dose at night. Once the treatment with clozapine is working well for some time, your doctor will try treatment with lower doses. You will need to take clozapine for at least 6 months.
Treatment of severe thought disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease
The normal initial dose of clozapine is 12.5 mg (half a 25 mg tablet) at night. Swallow the tablet with the help of a glass of water. Your doctor will slowly increase the dose in amounts of 12.5 mg, with a maximum of two increases per week, until reaching a maximum dose of up to 50 mg by the end of the second week. Dose increments should be stopped or postponed if you feel weak, dizzy, or confused. To avoid such symptoms, your blood pressure will be measured during the first weeks of treatment.
The effective daily dose is between 25 and 37.5 mg, taken as a single dose at night. The dose can only be increased to more than 50 mg per day in exceptional cases. The maximum dose is 100 mg per day. Always take the minimum that is effective for you.
Method of administration
Oral route.
Swallow the tablet with water.
The tablets can be divided into equal doses.
If you take more Agavan than you should
If you think you have taken more clozapine than you should, or if someone has taken some of your tablets, inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service. Phone 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount taken.
The symptoms of overdose are:
Drowsiness, fatigue, lack of energy, unconsciousness, coma, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, incoherent speech, numbness in the limbs, tremors in the hands, seizures, increased saliva production, dilated pupils, blurred vision, low blood pressure, collapse, rapid or irregular heartbeat, or difficulty breathing.
If you forget to take Agavan
If you forget to take a dose, take the missed dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for the next dose, do not take the missed dose and take the next dose at the scheduled time. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose. If you have stopped taking clozapine for two or more days, do not start treatment again without consulting your doctor first.
If you interrupt treatment with Agavan
Do not interrupt treatment with clozapine without asking your doctor, as you may experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include sweating, headache, nausea (feeling of dizziness), vomiting (being dizzy), and diarrhea. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. These symptoms can be followed by more severe ones unless you are treated immediately.Your initial symptoms may recur. If you need to interrupt treatment, it is recommended to gradually decrease the dose in amounts of 12.5 mg over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to reduce your daily dose. If you need to interrupt your treatment suddenly, your doctor should examine you.
If your doctor decides to restart treatment with clozapine and your last dose of clozapine was two days or more ago, you should start again with the initial dose of 12.5mg.
If you have any other doubts about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medications, Agavan can cause adverse effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Some adverse effects can be serious and require immediate medical attention:
Tell your doctor immediately before taking the next clozapine tablet if you experience any of the following circumstances:
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):
Rare(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) or very rare(may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
rapid and irregular heartbeat, even when at rest, palpitations, breathing problems, chest pain, or unusual fatigue. Your doctor should check your heart and, if necessary, immediately refer you to a cardiologist.
Very rare(may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
Frequency not known(frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
If any of the above cases apply to you, inform your doctor immediately before taking the next clozapine tablet.
Other adverse effects:
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):
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: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the outer packaging and on the blister after "CAD". The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.
Do not store above 30°C.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Place the packaging and any unused medicines in the SIGRE collection point at your pharmacy. If you are unsure, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and any unused medicines. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Agavan
The active ingredient is clozapine.
Each tablet contains 25 mg of clozapine.
The other ingredients are: lactose monohydrate, corn starch, povidone K30, colloidal anhydrous silica, talc, and magnesium stearate.
Appearance of the Product and Package Contents
Biconvex tablets, pale yellow in color, 6 mm in diameter, and scored on one side.
Available in packs with PVC/PVdC-Al blisters containing 14, 28, 30, 40, 60, and 100 tablets.
Only certain pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing Authorization Holder
Aristo Pharma GmbH
Wallenroder Straße 8-10
13435 Berlin
Germany
Manufacturer
Aristo Pharma GmbH
Wallenroder Straße 8-10
13435 Berlin
Germany
Or
Laboratorios Medicamentos Internacionales S.A. (Medinsa)
C/Solana 26
28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid
Spain
You can request more information about this medicine by contacting the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
Aristo Pharma Iberia, S.L.
C/ Solana, 26
28850, Torrejón de Ardoz
Madrid, Spain
This medicine is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
Germany Clozapin Aristo 25 mg Tabletten
Austria Clozapin Aristo 25 mg Tabletten
Czech Republic Clozapine Aristo 25 mg tablets
Denmark Clozapine Aristo 25 mg tablets
Spain Agavan 25 mg EFG tablets
France Clozapine Aristo 25 mg scored tablets
Italy Clozapina Aristo 25 mg tablets
Netherlands Clozapine Aristo 25 mg tablets
Norway Clozapine Aristo 25 mg tablets
Poland Clozapine Aristo 25 mg tablets
Portugal Clozapina Aristo 25 mg tablets
Sweden Clozapine Aristo 25 mg tablets
Date of the last revision of this leaflet:June 2022
Detailed information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/