Package Leaflet: Information for the User
NeoRecormon 500 UI
NeoRecormon 2,000 UI
NeoRecormon 3,000 UI
NeoRecormon 4,000 UI
NeoRecormon 5,000 UI
NeoRecormon 6,000 UI
NeoRecormon 10,000 UI
NeoRecormon 20,000 UI
NeoRecormon 30,000 UI
Injectable solution in a pre-filled syringe
Epoetin beta
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
NeoRecormon is a clear, colorless solution for injection under the skin (subcutaneously) or into a vein (intravenously). It contains epoetin beta, a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Epoetin beta is produced by specialized genetic technology and works exactly like the natural human erythropoietin hormone.
You should consult your doctor if it gets worse or does not improve.
NeoRecormon is indicated for:
Do not use NeoRecormon:
If you experience any of these situations or may experience them, tell your doctor immediately.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor before starting to use NeoRecormon
Be careful with other medicines that stimulate red blood cell production:NeoRecormon is one of the agents that stimulate red blood cell production like the human erythropoietin protein. Your doctor should always record the exact product you are using.
Severe skin reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), have been observed with the administration of epoetins.
SJS/TEN may initially appear as red, circular spots or patches, often with central blisters on the trunk. Ulcers may also appear in the mouth, throat, nose, genitals, and eyes (eye irritation and swelling). These severe skin rashes are often preceded by fever and/or flu-like symptoms. The rash can progress to widespread skin peeling and potentially life-threatening complications.
If you experience a severe skin rash or any of these other skin symptoms, stop taking NeoRecormon and contact your doctor or seek medical attention immediately.
Special warning
During treatment with NeoRecormon
If you are a patient with chronic kidney disease,and in particular if you do not respond adequately to NeoRecormon, your doctor will monitor your NeoRecormon dose since repeated dose increases of NeoRecormon if you are not responding to treatment may increase the risk of having a heart or blood vessel problem, and may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
If you are a cancer patient,you should know that NeoRecormon may act as a growth factor for blood cells and that in some circumstances it may have a negative effect on the cancer. Depending on your individual situation, a blood transfusion may be preferable. Please discuss this with your doctor.
If you are a patient with nephrosclerosisnot yet undergoing dialysis, your doctor will decide if treatment is suitable for you. This is because it cannot be ruled out with certainty that kidney failure may be accelerated.
Your doctor may perform regular blood tests to monitor:
If you are a patient with kidney problems undergoing hemodialysis, your doctor will adjust your heparin dose. This will prevent blockage of the dialysis system tubes.
If you are a patient with kidney problems undergoing hemodialysis and at risk of shunt thrombosis, clots (thrombosis) may form in your shunt (the vessel used to connect to the dialysis system). Your doctor may prescribe acetylsalicylic acid or modify the shunt.
If you are donating your own blood before surgery, your doctor will need to:
Do not misuse NeoRecormon:
Misuse of NeoRecormon by healthy individuals can lead to an increase in blood cells and, consequently, thickening of the blood, which can be associated with life-threatening heart or blood vessel complications.
Using NeoRecormon with other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used, or might use any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
There is not enough experience with NeoRecormon in women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
NeoRecormon has not shown evidence of altering fertility in animals. The potential risk in humans is unknown.
Driving and using machines
No effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been described.
NeoRecormon contains phenylalanine and sodium
This medicine contains phenylalanine. It may be harmful to people with phenylketonuria. If you have phenylketonuria, consult your doctorabout treatment with NeoRecormon.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per dose; this is essentially “sodium-free”.
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. If you are not sure, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor will use the lowest effective dose to control the symptoms of your anemia.
If you do not respond adequately to NeoRecormon, your doctor will check your dose and inform you if you need to change the doses.
Treatment should be started under the supervision of a doctor.
Other injections will be administered by your doctor, or after being trained, you can inject NeoRecormon yourself (see instructions at the end of this leaflet).
NeoRecormon can be injected under the skin in the abdomen, arm, or thigh, or into a vein. Your doctor will decide what is best for you.
Your doctor will perform regular blood tests to monitor how your anemia is responding to treatment by measuring your hemoglobin level.
Dose of NeoRecormon
The dose of NeoRecormon depends on the state of your disease, the way the injection is administered (under the skin or into a vein), and your body weight. Your doctor will calculate the appropriate dose for you.
Your doctor will use the lowest effective dose to control the symptoms of your anemia.
If you do not respond adequately to NeoRecormon, your doctor will check your dose and inform you if you need to change the NeoRecormon dose.
Injections are administered under the skin or into a vein. If the solution is administered into a vein, it should be injected over about 2 minutes, e.g. in patients undergoing hemodialysis via the arteriovenous fistula at the end of dialysis.
Patients not undergoing hemodialysis will normally receive subcutaneous administration.
Treatment with NeoRecormon is divided into two phases:
The initial dose for subcutaneous administrationis 20 UI per injection per kg of body weight, administered three times a week.
After 4 weeks, your doctor will perform tests and may increase your dose to 40 UI/kg per injection, administered three times a week. Your doctor may continue to increase your dose at monthly intervals if necessary.
The weekly dose can be divided into daily doses.
The initial dose for intravenous administrationis 40 UI per injection per kg of body weight, administered three times a week.
After 4 weeks, your doctor will perform tests and if the response to treatment is not sufficient, may increase your dose to 80 UI/kg per injection, administered three times a week. Your doctor may continue to increase the dose at monthly intervals if necessary.
Maintenance dose:Once your red blood cells have reached an acceptable level, the dose is reduced to half of the dose used to correct anemia. The weekly dose can be administered once a week or divided into three or seven doses per week. If your red blood cells remain stable on a single weekly dose regimen, you may switch to a single dose every two weeks. In this case, a dose increase may be necessary. Your doctor may adjust your dose every one or two weeksuntil your individual maintenance dose is found. Childrenwill start treatment following the same guidelines. In clinical trials, children normally required higher doses of NeoRecormon (the smaller the child, the higher the dose). Treatment with NeoRecormon is normally long-term treatment. However, it can be interrupted at any time if necessary. Injections are administered under the skin. The initial doseis 250 UI injected per kg of body weight, three times a week. It is likely that premature infants who have already received a previous transfusion when starting treatment with NeoRecormon will not benefit as much as non-transfused premature infants. The recommended duration of treatment is 6 weeks. Injections are administered under the skin. Your doctor may start treatment with NeoRecormon if your hemoglobin level is less than or equal to 10 g/dl. After starting treatment, your doctor will keep your hemoglobin level between 10 and 12 g/dl. The initial weekly doseis 30,000 UI. This dose can be administered in a single weekly injection or divided into 3 to 7 injections per week. Your doctor will take regular blood samples. Based on the test results, they may increase or decrease your dose or interrupt treatment. Hemoglobin values will not exceed 12 g/dl. Treatment should continue until 4 weeks after the end of chemotherapy. The maximum doseshould not exceed 60,000 UI per week. Injections are administered into a vein over 2 minutes or under the skin. The dose of NeoRecormondepends on your condition, red blood cell levels, and the amount of blood you will donate before surgery. The calculated dose by your doctor is administered twice a week for 4 weeks. When you donate blood, you will receive NeoRecormon at the end of the donation. The maximum doseshould not exceed If you inject too much NeoRecormon Do not increase the dose that your doctor has given you. If you think you have injected more NeoRecormon than you should, contact your doctor. It is unlikely to be serious. Even in the presence of high blood levels, no symptoms of overdose have been observed. If you forget to use NeoRecormon If you have forgotten an injection or have injected too little, tell your doctor. Do not administer a double dose to make up for forgotten doses. If you have any other questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist. As with all medications, this medication may have adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them. Adverse effects that may affect any patient Adverse effects in patients with chronic kidney disease (renal anemia) Additional adverse effects in adults with cancer treated with chemotherapy Additional adverse effects in patients who donate their own blood before undergoing surgery 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 national reporting system included in Annex V. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication. NeoRecormon Composition urea, sodium chloride, polysorbate 20, monosodium phosphate dihydrate, disodium phosphate dodecahydrate, calcium chloride dihydrate, glycine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Threonine, L-Glutamic acid, and L-Phenylalanine, and water for injectable preparations. (See section 2 "NeoRecormon contains phenylalanine and sodium"). Appearance of NeoRecormon and Container Contents NeoRecormon is a solution in a pre-filled syringe for injection. The solution is colorless, transparent to slightly opalescent. NeoRecormon 500 IU, 2,000 IU, 3,000 IU, 4,000 IU, 5,000 IU, and 6,000 IU: each pre-filled syringe contains 0.3 ml of solution. NeoRecormon 10,000 IU, 20,000 IU, and 30,000 IU: each pre-filled syringe contains 0.6 ml of solution. NeoRecormon is presented in the following pack sizes: NeoRecormon 500 IU 1 pre-filled syringe with 1 needle (30G1/2) or 6 pre-filled syringes with 6 needles (30G1/2). NeoRecormon 2,000 IU, 3,000 IU, 4,000 IU, 5,000 IU, 6,000 IU, 10,000 IU, and 20,000 IU 1 pre-filled syringe with 1 needle (27G1/2) or 6 pre-filled syringes with 6 needles (27G1/2). NeoRecormon 30,000 IU 1 pre-filled syringe with 1 needle (27G1/2) or 4 pre-filled syringes with 4 needles (27G1/2). Not all pack sizes may be marketed. Marketing Authorization Holder Roche Registration GmbH Emil-Barell-Strasse 1 79639 Grenzach-Wyhlen Germany Manufacturer Roche Pharma AG Emil-Barell-Strasse 1 D-79639 Grenzach-Wyhlen Germany You can request more information about this medicinal product from the local representative of the marketing authorization holder: België/Belgique/Belgien N.V. Roche S.A. Tél/Tel: +32 (0) 2 525 82 11 Lietuva UAB “Roche Lietuva” Tel: +370 5 2546799 Luxembourg/Luxemburg (See Belgium/Belgien) Ceská republika Roche s. r. o. Tel: +420 - 2 20382111 Magyarország Roche (Magyarország) Kft. Tel: +36 - 1 279 4500 Danmark Roche Pharmaceuticals A/S Tlf: +45 - 36 39 99 99 Malta (See Ireland) Deutschland Roche Pharma AG Tel: +49 (0) 7624 140 Nederland Roche Nederland B.V. Tel: +31 (0) 348 438050 Eesti Roche Eesti OÜ Tel: + 372 - 6 177 380 Norge Roche Norge AS Tlf: +47 - 22 78 90 00 Ελλ?δα Roche (Hellas) A.E. Τηλ: +30 210 61 66 100 Österreich Roche Austria GmbH Tel: +43 (0) 1 27739 España Roche Farma S.A. Tel: +34 - 91 324 81 00 Polska Roche Polska Sp.z o.o. Tel: +48 - 22 345 18 88 France Roche Tél: +33 (0) 1 47 61 40 00 Portugal Roche Farmacêutica Química, Lda Tel: +351 - 21 425 70 00 Hrvatska Roche d.o.o Tel: +385 1 4722 333 România Roche România S.R.L. Tel: +40 21 206 47 01 Ireland Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd. Tel: +353 (0) 1 469 0700 Slovenija Roche farmacevtska družba d.o.o. Tel: +386 - 1 360 26 00 Ísland Roche Pharmaceuticals A/S c/o Icepharma hf Sími: +354 540 8000 Slovenská republika Roche Slovensko, s.r.o. Tel: +421 - 2 52638201 Italia Roche S.p.A. Tel: +39 - 039 2471 Suomi/Finland Roche Oy Puh/Tel: +358 (0) 10 554 500 Sverige Roche AB Tel: +46 (0) 8 726 1200 Latvija Roche Latvija SIA Tel: +371 - 6 7039831 United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 1707 366000 Date of Last Revision of this Leaflet: <{MM/AAAA}> <{month AAAA}> Detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the European Medicines Agency website http://www.ema.europa.eu/ NeoRecormon Pre-filled Syringe Instructions for Use The following instructions explain how to administer an injection of NeoRecormon. Make sure to read, understand, and follow the instructions for use as well as the leaflet before injecting NeoRecormon. The healthcare professional will show you how to prepare and inject NeoRecormon correctly before using it for the first time. Do notinject yourself unless you have received training. Consult the healthcare professional if you need further training. Always follow all the instructions in these instructions for use, as they may differ from your experiences. These instructions will minimize risks such as accidental needlestick and prevent incorrect use. NeoRecormon can be administered in 2 ways, your doctor will decide which way is suitable for you: Before Starting to Use Storage Instructions Materials Needed to Administer the Injection Included in the Packaging: Note: Each NeoRecormon packaging contains 1 syringe / 1 needle, 4 syringes / 4 needles, or 6 syringes / 6 needles. Not Included in the Packaging: Preparation for Injection Observation:If you have a multipack, put the carton with the remaining syringe(s) and needle(s) in the refrigerator. Observation:If the syringe does not reach room temperature, this could make the injection uncomfortable and make it difficult to push the plunger. A) B) C) Subcutaneous Injection Administration Discard the needle cap in the puncture-proof container immediately. Once you have inserted the needle, release the pinch and hold the syringe firmly in place. After the Injection Holding the syringe with one hand, press the safety protector against a flat surface with a firm and quick motion until you hear a "click" (B). A) B) Important:Always keep the puncture-proof container out of the reach of children. < -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Instructions for Use for Intravenous Injection, Intended Only for Healthcare Professionals The following instructions for use explain how to administer an intravenous injection of NeoRecormon. Make sure to read, understand, and follow the instructions for use, as well as the leaflet, before injecting NeoRecormon. Intravenous Injection Administration (only for healthcare professionals). Preparation for injection: follow steps 1 to 9 of subcutaneous injection (above). Clean the skin over the vein with an alcohol swab and let it air dry. After the injection, follow steps 18 to 20 of subcutaneous injection (above). Administer the intravenous injection through the injection port (for healthcare professional only). Preparation for injection: follow steps 1 to 9 of subcutaneous injection (above). Clean the injection site according to the device provider's instructions. After the injection, follow steps 18 to 20 of subcutaneous injection (above).4. Possible Adverse Effects
5. Storage of NeoRecormon
6. Container Contents and Additional Information