Leaflet: information for the user
NeoRecormon500UI
NeoRecormon2.000UI
NeoRecormon3.000UI
NeoRecormon4.000UI
NeoRecormon5.000UI
NeoRecormon6.000UI
NeoRecormon10.000UI
NeoRecormon20.000UI
NeoRecormon30.000UI
pre-filled syringe solution for injection
epoetin beta
Read this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine, because it contains important information for you.
1.What isNeoRecormonand what it is used for
2.What you need to knowbefore starting touseNeoRecormon
3.How to useNeoRecormon
4.Possible side effects
5.Storage ofNeoRecormon
6.Contents of the pack and additional information
NeoRecormon isa clear, colorless solution for injection under the skin (subcutaneously) or into a vein (intravenously).It containsepoetin beta, a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Epoetin beta is produced by specialized genetic technology and works exactly the same way as the natural human erythropoietin hormone.
You should consult your doctor if you get worse or do not improve.
NeoRecormonis indicated for:
No useNeoRecormon:
If you experience any of these situationsor may be at risk of them,tell your doctor immediately.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor before starting to use NeoRecormon
Be especially careful with other medications that stimulate red blood cell production:NeoRecormon is one of the erythropoiesis-stimulating agents like human recombinant erythropoietin. Your doctor should always record the exact product you are using.
Severe skin reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SSJ) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), have been observed with the administration of epoetins.
SSJ/TEN may initially appear as circular, red, target-like lesions, often with central blisters on the trunk. They may also appear as ulcers in the mouth, throat, nose, genitals, and eyes (eye irritation and swelling). These severe skin reactions are often preceded by fever and/or flu-like symptoms. The skin reaction may progress to generalized skin peeling and potentially life-threatening complications.
If you experience a severe skin reaction 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 have chronic kidney disease,and particularly if you do not respond adequately to NeoRecormon, your doctor will monitor your NeoRecormon dose as repeated increases in the NeoRecormon dose if you are not responding to treatment may increase the risk of heart or vascular problems, and may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
If you have cancer,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 cancer. Depending on your individual situation, it may be preferable to have a blood transfusion. Please discuss this with your doctor.
If you have nephrosclerosisnot yet on dialysis, your doctor will decide whether treatment is suitable for you. This is because it cannot be ruled out with certainty that the treatment may accelerate renal insufficiency.
Your doctor may perform regular blood tests to monitoryour levels of potassium. If you have high or increasing potassium levels, your doctor should reconsider your treatment
If you have renal impairment undergoing hemodialysis,your doctor will need to adjust your heparin dose to avoid blockage of the dialysis system tubes.
If you have renal impairment undergoing hemodialysis and are at risk of catheter thrombosis,clots (thrombosis) may form in yourcatheter(the tube used to connect the dialysis system). Your doctor may prescribe aspirin or modify the catheter.
If you are donating your own blood before surgery,your doctor will need to:
Do not misuse NeoRecormon:
Improper use of NeoRecormon by healthy individuals may lead to an increase in blood cells and, consequently, thickening of the blood that may be associated with life-threatening cardiovascular or vascular complications.
Use ofNeoRecormonwith other medications
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have used recently, or may need to use any other medication, including those purchased without a prescription.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
No adequate experience has been obtained with NeoRecormon inwomen duringpregnancy and lactation. Consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medication.
NeoRecormonhas not shown evidence of altered fertility in animals. The potential risk in humans is unknown.
Driving and operating machinery
No effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been described.
NeoRecormon contains phenylalanine and sodium
This medication contains phenylalanine. It may be harmful to individuals with phenylketonuria.
If you havephenylketonuria,consult your doctorabout treatment withNeoRecormon.
This medication contains less than 1mmol of sodium (23mg) per dose; it is essentially “sodium-free”.
Use this medication exactly as your doctor has told you to. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor will use the lowest effective dose to control your anemia symptoms.
If you do not respond adequately to NeoRecormon, your doctor will check your dose and inform you if you need to change your dose.
Treatment should be initiated under the supervision of a doctor.
Other injections will be administered by your doctor or, after being trained, you may inject NeoRecormon (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 periodic blood tests to monitor how your anemia is responding to treatment by measuring your hemoglobin level.
Dosage of NeoRecormon
The dosage of NeoRecormon depends on your disease state, the method of injection (subcutaneous or intravenous), and your body weight. Your doctor will calculate the appropriate dose for you.
Your doctor will use the lowest effective dose to control your anemia symptoms.
If you do not respond adequately to NeoRecormon, your doctor will check your dose and inform you if you need to change your dose of NeoRecormon.
Injections are administered subcutaneously or intravenously. If the solution is administered intravenously, it should be injected over a period of 2 minutes, for example, 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:
a)Correction of anemia
Initial subcutaneous doseis 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.
Initial intravenous doseis 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.
For both types of injection, the maximum dose should not exceed 720 UI per kg of body weight per week.
b)Maintenance of red blood cell levels
Maintenance dose: Once your red blood cells reach an acceptable level, the dose is reduced to half 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 once-weekly regimen, you may switch to a once-every-two-weeks regimen. In this case, you may need to increase the dose.
Your doctor may adjust your doseevery one or two weeksuntil finding your individual maintenance dose.
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 usually long-term treatment. However, it can be interrupted at any time if necessary.
Injections are administered subcutaneously.
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 withNeoRecormonwill not benefit as much as non-transfused premature infants.
The recommended treatment duration is 6 weeks.
Injections are administered subcutaneously.
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 maintain your hemoglobin level between 10 and 12 g/dl.
Initial weekly doseis 30,000 UI. This dose can be administered as a weekly injection, or divided into 3 to 7 injections per week.Your doctor will take regular blood samples. Based on the test results, your doctor may increase or decrease your dose or discontinue treatment. Hemoglobin levels will not exceed 12 g/dl.
Treatment should continue until 4 weeks after completing chemotherapy.
Maximum doseshould not exceed 60,000 UI per week.
Injections are administered intravenously over 2 minutes, or subcutaneously.
The dose of NeoRecormonwill depend on your condition, red blood cell levels, and the amount of blood you will donate before the procedure.
The calculated dose by your doctor is administered twice a week for 4 weeks. When you donate blood, you will receiveNeoRecormonat the end of the donation.
Maximum doseshould not exceed
If you inject too muchNeoRecormon
Do not increase the dose given by your doctor. If you think you have injected moreNeoRecormon than you should, contact your doctor. It is unlikely to be serious. Evenin the presence of high blood levels, no symptoms of overdose have been observed.
If you forget to useNeoRecormon
If you have forgotten a dose or injected too little, tell your doctor.
Do not administer a double doseto compensate for missed doses.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine may cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Side effects that may affect any patient
Side effects in patients with chronic kidney disease (renal anemia)
Additional side effects in adults with cancer treated with chemotherapy
Additional side effects in patients who donate their own blood before undergoing surgery
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any type of side effect,consult your doctor or nurse, even if it is a possible side effect thatdoes not appear in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through thenational notification system included in theAppendix V.By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
Composition of NeoRecormon
urea, sodium chloride, polisorbate 20, monohydrate monosodium phosphate, dodecahydrate disodium phosphate, calcium chloride dihydrate, glycine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Threonine, L-Glutamic acid and L-Phenylalanine and water for injection. (See section 2 "NeoRecormon contains phenylalanine and sodium").
Appearance of NeoRecormon and contents of the pack
NeoRecormon is a pre-filled syringe for injection.
The Solution is colourless, transparent to slightly opalescent.
NeoRecormon 500UI, 2,000UI, 3,000UI, 4,000UI, 5,000UI and 6,000UI: each pre-filled syringe contains 0.3ml of solution.
NeoRecormon 10,000UI, 20,000UI and 30,000UI: each pre-filled syringe contains 0.6ml of solution.
NeoRecormon is available in the following pack sizes:
NeoRecormon 500UI
1 pre-filled syringe with 1 needle (30G1/2) or
6 pre-filled syringes with 6 needles (30G1/2).
NeoRecormon 2,000UI, 3,000UI, 4,000UI, 5,000UI, 6,000UI, 10,000UI and 20,000UI
1 pre-filled syringe with 1 needle (27G1/2) or
6 pre-filled syringes with 6 needles (27G1/2).
NeoRecormon 30,000UI
1 pre-filled syringe with 1 needle (27G1/2) or
4 pre-filled syringes with 4 needles (27G1/2).
Only some pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation 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
For further information about this medicinal product, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation Holder:
Czech Republic Roche s. r. o. Tel.: +420 - 2 20382111 | Hungary Roche (Magyarország) Kft. Tel.: +36-1 279 4500 |
Denmark RochePharmaceuticals A/S Tel.: +45 - 36 39 99 99 | Malta (See Ireland) |
Germany Roche Pharma AG Tel.: +49 (0) 7624 140 | Netherlands Roche Nederland B.V. Tel.: +31 (0) 348 438050 |
Estonia Roche Eesti OÜ Tel.: + 372 - 6 177 380 | Norway Roche Norge AS Tel.: +47 - 22 78 90 00 |
Greece Roche (Hellas) A.E. Tel.: +30 210 61 66 100 | Austria Roche Austria GmbH Tel.: +43 (0) 1 27739 |
Spain Roche Farma S.A. Tel.: +34 - 91 324 81 00 | Poland Roche Polska Sp.z o.o. Tel.: +48 - 22 345 18 88 |
France Roche Tel: +33 (0) 1 47 61 40 00 | Portugal Roche Farmacêutica Química, Lda Tel.: +351 - 21 425 70 00 |
Croatia Roche d.o.o. Tel.: +385 1 4722 333 | Romania Roche România S.R.L. Tel.: +40 21 206 47 01 |
Ireland Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd. Tel.: +353 (0) 1 469 0700 | Slovenia Roche farmacevtska družba d.o.o. Tel.: +386 - 1 360 26 00 |
Iceland RochePharmaceuticals A/S c/o Icepharma hf Tel.: +354 540 8000 | Slovakia Roche Slovensko, s.r.o. Tel.: +421 - 2 52638201 |
Italy Roche S.p.A. Tel.: +39 - 039 2471 | Finland Roche Oy Tel: +358 (0) 10 554 500 |
Cyprus Γ.Α.Σταμ?της&ΣιαΛτδ. Tel.: +357 - 22 76 62 76 | Sweden Roche AB Tel.: +46 (0) 8 726 1200 |
Latvia Roche Latvija SIA Tel.: +371 - 6 7039831 | United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 1707 366000 |
Last update of the summary of product characteristics
The detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the European Medicines Agencyhttp://www.ema.europa.eu/
NeoRecormon pre-filled syringe
Instructions for use
The following instructions explain how to administer a NeoRecormon injection. Please read, understand and follow the instructions for use as well as the summary of product characteristics before injecting NeoRecormon. Your healthcare professional will show you how to prepare and inject NeoRecormon correctly before using it for the first time.
Do not inject yourself unless you have been trained. Consult your healthcare professional if you need more 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 misuse.
NeoRecormon can be administered in two ways, your doctor will decide which method is suitable for you:
Before starting to use
•Do not remove the needle cap until you are ready to inject NeoRecormon.
•Do not attempt to remove the syringe at any time.
•Do not reuse the syringe.
•Do not use it if the syringe has fallen or is damaged.
•Do not leave the syringe unattended.
• Keep the syringe and needle, as well as the puncture-proof container or sharp object container, out of the reach of children.
• If you have any questions, contact your healthcare professional.
Instructions for storage
• Store the (pre-filled syringe(s) and needle(s) not in use in the original packaging andkeep it (them) in the refrigerator at 2 °C to 8 °C.
• Keep the syringe and needle out of direct sunlight.
•Do not freeze.
•Do not use if the syringe has been frozen.
• Always keep the syringe and needle dry.
Materials needed to administer the injection
Included in the pack:
Nota: Each pack of NeoRecormon contains 1 syringe / 1 needle, 4 syringes / 4 needles or 6 syringes / 6 needles.
• Instructions for use and summary of product characteristics.
Not included in the pack:
• 1 alcohol wipe.
• 1 sterile dry gauze.
• 1 puncture-proof container or sharp object container for safe disposal of the needle cap, needle and syringe.
Preparing for the injection
Observation:If you have a multipack, place the carton with the (pre-filled syringe(s) and needle(s) remaining in the refrigerator.
Observation:If the syringe does not reach room temperature, this may make the injection uncomfortable and make it difficult to push the plunger.
7Attach the needle to the syringe.
A)
B)
C)
Subcutaneous injection administration
Dispose of the needle cap in the sharp object container immediately.
Once you have inserted the needle, release the pinch and hold the syringe firmly in place.
After the injection
Hold the syringe with one hand, press the safety guard against a flat surface with a firm and quick motion until you hear a "click" (B).
A)
B)
20Put the used syringe in a puncture-proof container immediately after use.
Important:Always keep the puncture-proof container out of the reach of children.
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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. Please read, understand and follow the instructions for use as well as the summary of product characteristics before injecting NeoRecormon.
Intravenous administration (only for healthcare professionals).
Preparing for the injection: follow steps 1 to 9 of subcutaneous injection (above).
Clean the skin above the vein with an alcohol wipe and let it dry.
After the injection, follow steps 18 to 20 of subcutaneous injection (above).
Administer the intravenous injection through the injection port (only for healthcare professionals).Preparing for the injection: follow steps 1 to 9 of subcutaneous injection (above).
Clean the injection site according to the device manufacturer's instructions.
After the injection, follow steps 18 to 20 of subcutaneous injection (above).
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.