Prospect: information for the patient
Tasigna 50mg, 150mg and 200mg hard capsules
nilotinib
Read this prospect carefully before starting to take this medication, as it contains important information for you.
1.What is Tasigna and for what it is used
2.What you need to know before starting to take Tasigna
3.How to take Tasigna
4.Possible adverse effects
5.Storage ofTasigna
6.Contents of the package andadditional information
What is Tasigna
Tasigna is a medication that contains an active ingredient called nilotinib.
What is Tasigna used for
Tasigna is used to treat a type of leukemia called chronic myeloid leukemia with Philadelphia chromosome positive (CML Ph-positive). CML is a blood cancer that causes the body to produce an excess of abnormal white blood cells.
Tasigna is used in adult and pediatric patients with newly diagnosed CML or in patients with CML who no longer benefit from previous treatment, including imatinib. It is also used in adult and pediatric patients who have experienced severe adverse effects from previous treatment and cannot continue using it.
How Tasigna works
In patients with CML, a change in DNA (genetic material) generates a signal that causes the body to produce abnormal white blood cells. Tasigna blocks this signal and therefore interrupts the production of these cells.
Monitoring during Tasigna treatment
Regular monitoring will be performed during treatment, including blood tests. These tests will control:
Heart rate will also be monitored using a machine that measures the heart's electrical activity (an electrocardiogram, or ECG).
Your doctor will regularly evaluate your treatment and decide if you should continue taking Tasigna. If they instruct you to stop taking this medication, they will continue to monitor your CML and, if necessary, may instruct you to restart treatment with Tasigna.
If you have any questions about how Tasigna works or the reason why you or your child have been prescribed this medication, consult with your doctor.
Do not take Tasigna
-if you areallergicto nilotinib or to any of the other components of this medication (listed in section6).
If you think you may be allergic, inform your doctorbeforetaking Tasigna.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take Tasigna:
-if you have had previous cardiovascular events such as a heart attack, chest pain (angina), problems with blood supply to your brain (stroke) or problems with blood flow to your leg (claudication) or if you have risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes or problems with the level of fats in your blood (lipid alterations).
-if you have aheart condition, such as an abnormal electrical signal called "prolongation of the QT interval".
-if you are receivingmedicationsthat lower cholesterol in the blood (statins) or that affect heart rhythm (antiarrhythmics) or the liver (seeUse of Tasigna withothermedicines).
-if you have a lack of potassium or magnesium.
-if you have a liver or pancreas disorder.
-if you have symptoms such as easy bruising, fatigue, or shortness of breath or have had repeated infections.
-if you have had a surgical procedure that involved the removal of the entire stomach (total gastrectomy).
-if you have ever had or may have hepatitis B virus infection at this time. This is because Tasigna could make hepatitis B active again, which can be fatal in some cases. Your doctor should carefully check for signs of this infection before starting treatment.
If any of these cases apply to you or your child, inform your doctor.
During treatment with Tasigna
If you are the parents of a child being treated with Tasigna, inform your doctor if any of the conditions described above apply to your child.
Children and adolescents
Tasigna is used to treat children and adolescents with CML. There is no experience with the use of this medication in children under 2 years of age. There is limited experience in children under 10 years of age with new diagnosis and little experience in children under 6 years of age with patients who did not benefit from previous treatment for CML, including imatinib.
Some children and adolescents being treated with Tasigna may experience slower than normal growth. Your doctor will monitor growth during regular visits.
Other medicines and Tasigna
Tasigna may interact with other medications.
Inform your doctor or pharmacistif you are taking, have taken recently or may need to take any other medication. These include, in particular:
You should avoid using these medications during treatment with Tasigna. If you are taking any of these medications, your doctor may prescribe alternative medications.
If you are taking statins (a type of medication that lowers cholesterol in the blood), talk to your doctor or pharmacist. If you use Tasigna with certain statins, it may increase the risk of statin-related muscle problems, which in rare cases can cause severe muscle degeneration (rhabdomyolysis) that can lead to kidney damage.
Also, inform your doctor or pharmacist before taking Tasigna if you are taking any antacids, which are medications for stomach acid. These medications should be taken separately from Tasigna:
You should also inform your doctorif you are already taking Tasignaand are prescribed a new medication that you have not taken before during treatment with Tasigna.
Taking Tasigna with food and drinks
Do not take Tasigna with meals.The food may increase the absorption of Tasigna and therefore increase the amount of Tasigna in the blood, possibly to a dangerous level. Do not drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit. It may increase the amount of Tasigna in the blood, probably to a dangerous level.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or intend to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication.
Driving and operating machines
If you experience side effects (such as dizziness or vision problems) that may affect your ability to drive safely or use tools or machines after taking this medication, you should avoid these activities until the effect has disappeared.
Tasigna contains lactose
This medication contains lactose (also known as milk sugar). If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to certain sugars, consult with them before taking this medication.
Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medication indicated by your doctor or pharmacist. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
How much Tasigna to take
Use in adults
Use in children and adolescents
Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose depending on how you respond to treatment.
Patients aged 65years or older
Tasigna can be used by patients aged 65years or older at the same dose as the rest of adults.
When to take Tasigna
Take the hard capsules:
Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have any doubts about when to take this medication. Taking Tasigna every day at the same time will help you remember when to take the hard capsules.
How to take Tasigna
For how long to take Tasigna
Take Tasigna every day for the time your doctor tells you. This is a long-term treatment. Your doctor will monitor your situation periodically to check that the treatment is having the desired effect.
Your doctor may consider stopping your treatment with Tasigna based on specific criteria.
If you have any doubts about how long you should take Tasigna, consult your doctor.
If you take more Tasigna than you should
If you have taken more Tasigna than you should, or if someone else accidentally takes your hard capsules, contact a doctor or hospital quickly. Show the box of hard capsules and this leaflet. You may need medical treatment.
If you forget to take Tasigna
If you forget to take a dose, take the next dose at your usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed capsule.
If you interrupt treatment with Tasigna
Do not stop treatment with this medication unless your doctor tells you to. Stopping treatment with Tasigna without your doctor's recommendation puts you at risk of worsening your disease, which could have fatal consequences. Make sure to discuss it with your doctor, nurse, and/or pharmacist if you are thinking of stopping treatment with Tasigna.
If your doctor recommends stopping treatment with Tasigna
Your doctor will regularly evaluate your treatment with a specific diagnostic test and decide if you should continue taking this medication. If they tell you to stop Tasigna, they will continue to monitor your LMC before, during, and after stopping Tasigna, and if necessary, they may tell you to restart treatment with Tasigna.
If you have any other doubts about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them. Most side effects are mild to moderate and usually disappear after a few days or weeks of treatment.
Some side effects can be serious.
Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the side effects described.
Some side effects are very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 patients)(may affect more than 1 in 10 patients)
-diarrhea
Some side effects are common (may affect up to 1 in 10 patients)(may affect up to 1 in 10 patients)
Some side effects are uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 patients)(may affect up to 1 in 100 patients)
Some side effects are rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 patients)(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 patients)
The following side effects have been reported with unknown frequency (cannot be estimated from available data):
Reporting of adverse reactions
If you experience any type of adverse reaction, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse reaction that does not appear in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the national notification system included in theAppendix V. By reporting adverse reactions, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
The other components are:
Hard capsule content: lactose monohydrate, crospovidone type A, poloxamer 188, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate.
Hard capsule coating: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide red (E172), iron oxide yellow (E172).
Printing ink: shellac (E904), iron oxide black (E172), propylene glycol, and ammonium hydroxide.
The other components are:
Hard capsule content: lactose monohydrate, crospovidone type A, poloxamer 188, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate.
Hard capsule coating: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide red and yellow (E172).
Printing ink: shellac (E904), iron oxide black (E172), n-butanol, propylene glycol, anhydrous ethanol, isopropanol, and ammonium hydroxide.
The other components are:
Hard capsule content: lactose monohydrate, crospovidone type A, poloxamer 188, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate.
Hard capsule coating: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide yellow (E172).
Printing ink: shellac (E904), anhydrous ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, propylene glycol, strong ammonia solution, potassium hydroxide, and iron oxide red (E172).
Appearance of Tasigna and packaging contents
Tasigna 50 mg is presented as hard capsules. The hard capsules are red and yellowish in color. Each hard capsule has a black imprint (‘NVR/ABL’).
Tasigna 150 mg is presented as hard capsules. The hard capsules are red in color. Each hard capsule has a black imprint (‘NVR/BCR’).
Tasigna 200 mg is presented as hard capsules. The hard capsules are yellowish in color. Each hard capsule has a red imprint (‘NVR/TKI’).
Tasigna 50 mg is available in packs containing 120 hard capsules (3 packs of 40 hard capsules).
Tasigna 150 mg is available in packs containing 28 or 40 hard capsules and in multiple packs of 112 hard capsules (containing 4 boxes, each containing 28 hard capsules), 120 hard capsules (containing 3 boxes, each containing 40 hard capsules), or 392 hard capsules (containing 14 boxes, each containing 28 hard capsules).
Tasigna 200 mg is available in a box containing 28 hard capsules and in a pack containing 28 or 40 hard capsules. Tasigna is also available in multiple packs of 112 hard capsules (containing 4 boxes, each containing 28 hard capsules), 112 hard capsules (containing 4 boxes, each containing 28 hard capsules), 120 hard capsules (containing 3 boxes of 40 hard capsules), or 392 hard capsules (containing 14 boxes of 28 hard capsules).
Only some pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder
Novartis Europharm Limited
Vista Building
Elm Park, Merrion Road
Dublin 4
Irlanda
Responsible Person
Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC
Verovškova ulica 57
1000 Ljubljana
Eslovenia
Novartis Farmacéutica SA
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 764
08013 Barcelona
España
Novartis Pharma GmbH
Roonstraße 25
D-90429 Nürnberg
Alemania
Lek d.d., PE PROIZVODNJA LENDAVA
Trimlini 2D
Lendava, 9220
Eslovenia
Novartis Pharma GmbH
Sophie-Germain-Strasse 10
90443 Nürnberg
Alemania
For further information about this medicinal product, please contact the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
België/Belgique/Belgien Novartis Pharma N.V. Tél/Tel: +32 2 246 16 11 | Lietuva SIA Novartis Baltics Lietuvos filialas Tel: +370 5 269 16 50 |
???????? Novartis Bulgaria EOOD ???.: +359 2 489 98 28 | Luxembourg/Luxemburg Novartis Pharma N.V. Tél/Tel: +32 2 246 16 11 |
Ceská republika Novartis s.r.o. Tel: +420 225 775 111 | Magyarország Novartis Hungária Kft. Tel.: +36 1 457 65 00 |
Danmark NovartisHealthcare A/S Tlf: +45 39 16 84 00 | Malta Novartis Pharma Services Inc. Tel: +356 2122 2872 |
Deutschland Novartis Pharma GmbH Tel: +49 911 273 0 | Nederland Novartis Pharma B.V. Tel:+3188 04 52111 |
Eesti SIA Novartis Baltics Eesti filiaal Tel: +372 66 30 810 | Norge Novartis Norge AS Tlf: +47 23 05 20 00 |
Ελλ?δα Novartis (Hellas) A.E.B.E. Τηλ: +30 210 281 17 12 | Österreich Novartis Pharma GmbH Tel: +43 1 86 6570 |
España Novartis Farmacéutica, S.A. Tel: +34 93 306 42 00 | Polska Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o. Tel.: +48 22 375 4888 |
France Novartis Pharma S.A.S. Tél: +33 1 55 47 66 00 | Portugal Novartis Farma - Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A. Tel: +351 21 000 8600 |
Hrvatska Novartis Hrvatska d.o.o. Tel. +385 1 6274 220 | România Novartis Pharma Services Romania SRL Tel: +40 21 31299 01 |
Ireland Novartis Ireland Limited Tel: +353 1 260 12 55 | Slovenija Novartis Pharma Services Inc. Tel: +386 1 300 75 50 |
Ísland Vistor hf. Sími: +354 535 7000 | Slovenská republika Novartis Slovakia s.r.o. Tel: +421 2 5542 5439 |
Italia Novartis Farma S.p.A. Tel: +39 02 96 54 1 | Suomi/Finland Novartis Finland Oy Puh/Tel: +358 (0)10 6133 200 |
Κ?προς Novartis Pharma Services Inc. Τηλ: +357 22 690 690 | Sverige Novartis Sverige AB Tel: +46 8 732 32 00 |
Latvija SIA Novartis Baltics Tel: +371 67 887 070 |
Last update of this leaflet:
Other sources of information
The detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the European Medicines Agency:http://www.ema.europa.eu/. There are also links to other websites on rare diseases and orphan medicinal products.
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.