Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Solution for Infusion
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
Pemetrexed is a medicine used to treat cancer.
This medicine may be given to you in combination with cisplatin, another anticancer medicine, as a treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, in patients who have not received chemotherapy before.
Pemetrexed may also be given to you in combination with cisplatin as an initial treatment for patients with advanced stages of lung cancer.
Pemetrexed may be prescribed for you if you have advanced lung cancer if your disease has responded to treatment or if it remains unchanged after initial chemotherapy.
Pemetrexed may also be given to you for the treatment of patients with advanced stages of lung cancer whose disease has progressed, and who have already received other initial chemotherapy treatment.
Do not use Pemetrexed Glenmark
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or hospital pharmacist before starting treatment with Pemetrexed Glenmark.
If you have or have had kidney problems, consult your doctor or hospital pharmacist, as it may be possible that you cannot receive pemetrexed.
Before each infusion, you will need to give blood samples to assess whether your kidney and liver function is sufficient and to check that you have enough blood cells to receive pemetrexed. Your doctor may decide to change your dose or delay treatment depending on your general condition and whether your blood cell count is too low. If you are also receiving cisplatin, your doctor will ensure that you are properly hydrated and receive appropriate treatment before and after receiving cisplatin to prevent vomiting.
If you have received or are going to receive radiotherapy, please consult your doctor, as a reaction to radiation may occur with pemetrexed.
If you have been vaccinated recently, please consult your doctor, as this may cause some negative effect with pemetrexed.
If you have a heart condition or a history of heart disease, please consult your doctor.
If you have fluid accumulation around the lung, your doctor may decide to remove the fluid before administering pemetrexed to you.
Children and adolescents
This medicine must not be used in children or adolescents, as there is no experience with this medicine in children and adolescents under 18 years.
Other medicines and Pemetrexed Glenmark
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription. Please consult your doctor if you are taking any pain or inflammation medicine (swelling), such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), including those obtained without a prescription (such as ibuprofen). There are many classes of NSAIDs with different durations of action. Depending on the scheduled date for your pemetrexed infusion and/or the status of your kidney function, your doctor should advise you on which medicines you can use and when you can take them. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist to see if any medicine you are taking is an NSAID.
Tell your doctor if you are taking medicines called proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole) used to treat stomach acid and acid reflux.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine. The use of pemetrexed should be avoided during pregnancy. Your doctor will inform you of the possible risks of using pemetrexed during pregnancy. Women must use effective contraceptive methods during treatment and for up to 6 months after the last dose of pemetrexed.
Breastfeeding
If you are breastfeeding, inform your doctor.
Breastfeeding must be discontinued during treatment with pemetrexed.
Fertility
Male patients are advised not to father a child during and up to 3 months after treatment with pemetrexed and must use effective contraceptive methods during and up to 3 months after treatment with pemetrexed. If you wish to have a child during treatment or in the 3 months following treatment, consult your doctor or pharmacist. Due to the possibility that treatment with pemetrexed may cause infertility, male patients are advised to seek advice on the possibility of going to a sperm bank before starting treatment.
Driving and using machines
Pemetrexed may cause fatigue. Be careful when driving a car or using machines.
Pemetrexed Glenmark contains sodium
Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Solution for Infusion (100 mg/10 ml)
This medicine contains 90 mg of sodium (main component of table salt/cooking salt) per vial. This is equivalent to 4.5% of the maximum recommended daily intake of sodium for an adult.
Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Solution for Infusion (500 mg/50 ml)
This medicine contains 450 mg of sodium (main component of table salt/cooking salt) per vial. This is equivalent to 22.5% of the maximum recommended daily intake of sodium for an adult.
Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Solution for Infusion (850 mg/85 ml)
This medicine contains 765 mg of sodium (main component of table salt/cooking salt) per vial. This is equivalent to 38.3% of the maximum recommended daily intake of sodium for an adult.
Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Solution for Infusion (1000 mg/100 ml)
This medicine contains 900 mg of sodium (main component of table salt/cooking salt) per vial. This is equivalent to 45% of the maximum recommended daily intake of sodium for an adult.
This medicine is a ‘Ready-to-use’ Solution for Infusion and must not be further diluted. This may lead to significant underdosing in patients.
Follow exactly the instructions for administration of this medicine given by your doctor. If you are unsure, consult your doctor again. No reconstitution is required prior to administration.
The recommended dose of pemetrexed is 500 milligrams per square meter of your body surface area. Your height and weight will be measured to calculate your body surface area. Your doctor will use this body surface area to calculate the correct dose for you. This dose may be adjusted, or treatment may be delayed depending on your blood cell count and your general condition.
You will always receive pemetrexed by infusion into one of your veins. The infusion will take approximately 10 minutes.
When using pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin:
Your doctor or hospital pharmacist will calculate the dose based on your height and weight. Cisplatin is also given by infusion into one of your veins and is administered approximately 30 minutes after the pemetrexed infusion has finished. The cisplatin infusion will take approximately 2 hours.
You should normally receive your infusion once every 3 weeks.
Additional medication:
Corticosteroids: your doctor will prescribe steroid tablets (equivalent to 4 milligrams of dexamethasone twice a day) that you must take the day before, the day of, and the day after treatment with pemetrexed. This medicine is given to reduce the frequency and severity of skin reactions that you may experience during your anticancer treatment.
Vitamin supplement: your doctor will prescribe oral folic acid (vitamin) or a multivitamin complex containing folic acid (350 to 1000 micrograms) that you must take once a day while using pemetrexed. You must take at least five doses during the 7 days prior to the first dose of pemetrexed. You must continue taking folic acid for 21 days after the last dose of pemetrexed. Additionally, you will receive a vitamin B12 injection (1000 micrograms) in the week prior to administration of pemetrexed and then approximately every 9 weeks (corresponding to 3 cycles of treatment with pemetrexed). Vitamin B12 and folic acid are given to reduce the possible toxic effects of anticancer treatment.
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.
You must inform your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms:
Side effects with pemetrexed may include:
Very common(may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
Infection • Pharyngitis (sore throat) • Low number of neutrophil granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) • Low white blood cell count • Low hemoglobin levels • Pain, redness, swelling, or sores in the mouth • Loss of appetite • Vomiting • Diarrhea • Nausea • Skin rash • Skin peeling • Abnormal blood tests showing reduced kidney function • Fatigue (tiredness).
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):
A type of diabetes derived mainly from kidney disease • Kidney disorder that involves the death of the epithelial tubular cells that form the renal tubules.
You may experience some of these symptoms and/or situations. You should inform your doctor as soon as you start experiencing any of these side effects.
If you are concerned about any side effect, consult your doctor.
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
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 label and carton after EXP. The expiry date is the last day of the month shown.
This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
Medicine in the infusion bag: this medicine must be used immediately. The chemical and physical stability of the pemetrexed solution during use is 24 hours at room temperature or refrigerated.
This medicine is for single use; the unused solution must be discarded in accordance with local regulations.
Composition of Pemetrexed Glenmark
Each 10 ml vial contains pemetrexed disodium hemipentahydrate equivalent to 100 mg of pemetrexed.
Each 50 ml vial contains pemetrexed disodium hemipentahydrate equivalent to 500 mg of pemetrexed.
Each 85 ml vial contains pemetrexed disodium hemipentahydrate equivalent to 850 mg of pemetrexed.
Each 100 ml vial contains pemetrexed disodium hemipentahydrate equivalent to 1000 mg of pemetrexed.
Appearance of the Product and Container Content
Pemetrexed Glenmark is a clear, colorless to pale yellow-green solution.
Pemetrexed Glenmark is available in glass vials consisting of a gray-colored chlorobutyl rubber stopper coated with flurotec and sealed with a blue flip-off type seal.
Each package of Pemetrexed Glenmark contains one vial.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing authorization holder:
Glenmark Arzneimittel GmbH
Industriestr. 31
82194 Gröbenzell
Germany
Manufacturer:
Apis labor GmbH
Resslstraße 9
Ebenthal, 9065
Austria
Further information about this medicinal product can be obtained from the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
Glenmark Farmacéutica, S.L.U.
C/ Retama 7, 7th floor
28045 Madrid
Spain
This medicinal product is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
Germany: Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Infusionslösung
Spain: Pemetrexed Glenmark 10 mg/ml Solution for infusion
Date of the last revision of this leaflet:April 2025
Detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) (http://www.aemps.gob.es/).