Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Sapropterina Tarbis 100 mg Soluble Tablets EFG
sapropterina dihydrochloride
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
Sapropterina contains the active substance sapropterina, which is a synthetic copy of a substance naturally found in the body called tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). BH4 is necessary in the body to convert an amino acid called phenylalanine into another amino acid called tyrosine.
Sapropterina is used to treat hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) or phenylketonuria (PKU) in patients of any age. HPA and PKU are due to abnormally high levels of phenylalanine in the blood that can be harmful. Sapropterina reduces these levels in some patients who respond to BH4 and can help increase the amount of phenylalanine that can be included in the diet.
This medicine is also used to treat a hereditary disease called BH4 deficiency in patients of any age, in which the body cannot produce enough BH4. Because BH4 levels are very low, the body cannot properly use phenylalanine, and levels of this amino acid increase, having harmful effects. By replacing the BH4 that the body cannot produce, sapropterina reduces the harmful excess of phenylalanine in the blood and increases tolerance to dietary phenylalanine.
Do not take Sapropterina Tarbis
If you are allergic to sapropterina or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take sapropterina, especially:
When you are treated with sapropterina, your doctor will perform blood tests to check the content of phenylalanine and tyrosine and decide whether to adjust the dose of sapropterina or the diet if necessary.
You should continue the dietary treatment as recommended by your doctor. Do not change your diet without telling your doctor. Even if you take sapropterina, if your blood phenylalanine levels are not well controlled, you may have serious neurological problems. Your doctor should continue to monitor your blood phenylalanine levels frequently during treatment with sapropterina, to ensure they are not too high or too low.
Using Sapropterina Tarbis with other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines. In particular, you should tell your doctor if you are using:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.
If you are pregnant, your doctor will tell you how to properly control phenylalanine levels. If they are not strictly controlled before pregnancy or when you become pregnant, it can be harmful to you and your baby. Your doctor will monitor the restriction of phenylalanine intake with the diet before and during pregnancy.
If a strict diet does not satisfactorily reduce the amount of phenylalanine in the blood, your doctor will consider whether you should take this medicine.
You should not use this medicine during breastfeeding.
Driving and using machines
Sapropterina is not expected to affect your ability to drive or use machines.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Sapropterina Tarbis
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per tablet; it is essentially "sodium-free".
Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medicine as indicated by your doctor. If in doubt, consult your doctor again.
Dose for PKU
The recommended initial dose of sapropterina in patients with PKU is 10 mg per kg of body weight. Take sapropterina once a day, with a meal to increase absorption, and at the same time each day, preferably in the morning. Your doctor may adjust the dose, usually between 5 and 20 mg daily per kg of body weight, according to your condition.
Dose for BH4 deficiency
The recommended initial dose of sapropterina in patients with BH4 deficiency is 2 to 5 mg per kg of body weight. Take sapropterina with a meal to increase absorption. Divide the total daily dose into 2 or 3 doses administered throughout the day. Your doctor may adjust the dose up to 20 mg daily per kg of body weight, according to your condition.
The following table is an example of how to calculate the appropriate dose
Body weight (kg) | Number of 100 mg tablets (dose of 10 mg/kg) | Number of 100 mg tablets (dose of 20 mg/kg) |
10 | 1 | 2 |
20 | 2 | 4 |
30 | 3 | 6 |
40 | 4 | 8 |
50 | 5 | 10 |
Method of administration
For patients with PKU, the total daily dose is taken once a day and at the same time each day, preferably in the morning.
For patients with BH4 deficiency, the total daily dose is divided into 2 or 3 doses distributed throughout the day.
Use in all patients
Place the prescribed tablets in a glass or cup of water, as described exactly below, and stir until they dissolve.
The tablets may take a few minutes to dissolve. To help the tablets dissolve faster, you can crush them. You may see small particles in the solution that will not affect the effectiveness of the medicine. Drink the dissolved sapropterina preparation with a meal within 15 to 20 minutes of preparation.
Do not swallow the desiccant capsule included in the bottle.
Use in patients with a body weight over 20 kg
Place the tablets in a glass or cup (120 to 240 ml) of water and stir until they dissolve.
Use in children up to 20 kg of body weight
The dose is based on body weight, which will change as the child grows. Your doctor will tell you:
The child should drink the sapropterina solution with a meal.
Administer the prescribed amount of solution to the child within 15 to 20 minutes of dissolution. If you cannot administer the dose to the child within 15 to 20 minutes of dissolution, you will need to prepare a new solution, as the unused solution should not be used after 20 minutes.
Materials needed to prepare and administer the dose of sapropterina to the child
Ask your doctor for the medicine cup to dissolve the tablets and the 10 ml or 20 ml oral syringe if you do not have these materials.
Steps for preparation and administration of the dose:
If you take more Sapropterina Tarbis than you should
If you take more sapropterina than prescribed, you may experience side effects that can include headache and dizziness. If you take more sapropterina than prescribed, inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medicine and the amount ingested.
If you forget to take Sapropterina Tarbis
Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses. Take the next dose at the usual time.
If you stop taking Sapropterina Tarbis
Do not stop treatment with sapropterina without discussing it with your doctor, as blood phenylalanine levels may increase.
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.
There have been a few reports of allergic reactions (such as skin rash and severe reactions). The frequency is not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data).
If you have inflamed, reddened, and severely itchy areas (urticaria), runny nose, rapid or irregular heartbeat, swelling of the tongue or throat, sneezing, wheezing, severe breathing difficulties, or dizziness, you may be experiencing a severe allergic reaction to the medicine. If you experience these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.
Very common side effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Headache and runny nose.
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Sore throat, nasal congestion or stuffiness, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, low phenylalanine levels in blood tests, indigestion, and general discomfort (nausea) (see section 2: "Warnings and precautions").
Unknown side effects (cannot be estimated from the available data)
Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus lining).
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if it is possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: https://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 stated on the bottle and carton after EXP. The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.
This medicine does not require any special storage temperature.
Keep the bottle tightly closed to protect it from moisture.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Place the packaging and any unused medicine in the SIGRE collection point at your pharmacy. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and any unused medicine. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Sapropterina Tarbis
The active substance is sapropterina dihydrochloride.
Each tablet contains 100 mg of sapropterina dihydrochloride (equivalent to 77 mg of sapropterina).
The other ingredients are
mannitol (E421), ascorbic acid (E300), crospovidone (Type A), riboflavin (E101), colloidal anhydrous silica, sodium stearyl fumarate, and sodium.
Appearance of the product and contents of the pack
Round, speckled tablet, white to light yellow in color, with an approximate diameter of 9.5 mm, engraved with "I 1" on one side and smooth on the other.
Sapropterina Tarbis is available in child-resistant closure bottles of 30 and 120 soluble tablets. Each bottle contains a small plastic tube of desiccant (silica gel and oxygen absorber).
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder
Tarbis Farma S.L.
Gran Vía Carlos III, 94
08028 Barcelona
Spain
Manufacturer
Amarox Pharma B.V.
Rouboslaan 32
Voorschoten, 2252TR
Netherlands
This medicine is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
Germany: Sapropterin Amarox 100 mg Tabletten zur Herstellung einer Lösung zum Einnehmen
Netherlands: Sapropterine Amarox 100 mg oplosbare tabletten
Spain: Sapropterina Tarbis 100 mg comprimidos solubles EFG
Date of last revision of this leaflet: June 2024
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/