Prospecto: information for the user

Vildagliptin/Metformin Almus 50mg/850mg film-coated tablets EFG

vildagliptin/metformin hydrochloride

Read this prospectus carefully before starting to take this medication, as it contains important information for you.

• Keep this prospectus, as you may need to read it again.
• If you have any doubts, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
• This medication has been prescribed only for you, and you should not give it to others even if they have the same symptoms as you, as it may harm them.
• If you experience any adverse effects, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if they do not appear in this prospectus. See section4.

1.What is Vildagliptin/Metformin Almus and for what it is used

2.What you need to know before starting to take Vildagliptin/Metformin Almus

3.How to take Vildagliptin/Metformin Almus

4.Possible adverse effects

5.Storage of Vildagliptin/Metformin Almus

6.Contents of the package and additional information

The active ingredients of this medication, vildagliptina and metformina, belong to a group of medications called “oral antidiabetics”.

Vildagliptina/Metformina is used to treat adult patients with type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Vildagliptina/Metformina is used when diabetes cannot be controlled with diet and exercise alone and/or with other medications used to treat diabetes (insulin or sulfonylureas).

Type 2 diabetes appears if the body does not produce enough insulin or if the insulin produced does not work properly. It can also appear if the body produces too much glucagon.

Insulin and glucagon are produced in the pancreas. Insulin helps to reduce blood sugar levels, especially after meals. Glucagon promotes the production of sugar by the liver and causes blood sugar levels to increase.

How Vildagliptina/Metformina works

Both active ingredients, vildagliptina and metformina, help to control blood sugar levels. The active ingredient vildagliptina stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin and less glucagon. The active ingredient metformina helps the body to use insulin better.This medication has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, which will help to prevent complications of your diabetes.

Do not takeVildagliptin/Metformin Almus

• if you are allergic tovildagliptin, metforminor any of the other ingredients of this medicine(listed in section6). If you think you might be allergic to any of these ingredients, consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
• if you have uncontrolled diabetes, for example, severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid weight loss, lactic acidosis (see “Risk of lactic acidosis” below) or ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a condition in which substances called “ketone bodies” accumulate in the blood, which can lead to a pre-coma diabetic state. Symptoms include stomach pain, rapid and deep breathing, drowsiness or if your breath develops an unusual fruity odor.
• if you have recently had a heart attack or if you have severe heart failure or circulatory problems or breathing difficulties that may be a sign of heart problems.
• if you have severe kidney function reduction.
• if you have a severe infection or severe dehydration (massive loss of body water).
• if you are undergoing a contrast radiology (a specific type of diagnostic test with X-rays and an injectable contrast medium). For more information, see the section “Warnings and precautions”.
• if you have liver problems.
• if you drink excessive alcohol (daily or occasionally).
• if you are breastfeeding (also see “Pregnancy and breastfeeding”).

Warnings and precautions

Risk of lactic acidosis

Vildagliptin/Metforminmay cause a very rare but serious side effect called lactic acidosis, especially if your kidneys are not functioning properly. The risk of developing lactic acidosis is also increased with uncontrolled diabetes, severe infections, prolonged fasting or alcohol consumption, dehydration (see below for more information), liver problems and any medical condition in which a part of the body has a reduced oxygen supply (such as acute and severe heart diseases).

If any of the above applies to you, consult your doctor for further instructions.

Stop taking Vildagliptin/Metformin for a short period of time if you have a condition that may be associated with dehydration(significant loss of body fluids), such as intense vomiting, diarrhea, fever, exposure to heat or if you drink less fluid than normal. Consult your doctor for further instructions.

Stop taking Vildagliptin/Metformin and contact a doctor or the nearest hospital immediately if you experience any of the symptoms that cause lactic acidosis, as this condition can lead to coma.

The symptoms of lactic acidosis include:

Lactic acidosis is a medical emergency and should be treated in a hospital.

Consult your doctor quickly to tell you what to do if:

Vildagliptin/Metforminis not a substitute for insulin. Therefore, do not takevildagliptin/metforminfor the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Consult your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before starting to takevildagliptin/metforminifyou have or have had a pancreatic disease.

Consult your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before starting to takevildagliptin/metforminif you are taking a diabetes medication known as a sulfonylurea. Your doctor may want to reduce your sulfonylurea dose when taking it withvildagliptin/metforminto avoid low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

If you have taken vildagliptin in the past but had to stop taking it due to liver disease, do not take this medicine.

Skin lesions are common complications of diabetes. Follow the recommendations of your doctor or nurse for skin and foot care. Pay special attention to the appearance of blisters or ulcers while takingvildagliptin/metformin. If this occurs, you must consult your doctor immediately.

If you need to undergo major surgery, stop takingvildagliptin/metforminwhile the procedure is performed and for a period of time afterwards. Your doctor will decide when to interrupt treatment with vildagliptin/metformin and when to restart it.

Tests of liver function should be performed before starting treatment with vildagliptin/metformin, at intervals of three months during the first year andperiodically thereafter. This is done to detect as soon as possible any sign that indicates an increase in liver enzymes (transaminases).

During treatment with vildagliptin/metformin, your doctor will check your kidney function at least once a year or more frequently if you are an elderly person and/or if your kidney function is deteriorating.

Your doctor will check your blood sugar and urine levels periodically.

Children and adolescents

The administration of vildagliptin/metforminis not recommended in children and adolescents under 18years.

Other medicines and vildagliptin/metformin

If you need to be administered in your bloodstream an injection of a contrast medium that contains iodine, for example, in the context of a radiography or an examination, you should stop taking vildagliptin/metforminbefore the injection or at the time of the injection. Your doctor will decide when to interrupt treatment with vildagliptin/metformin and when to restart it.

Inform your doctor if you are taking, have taken recently or may need to take any other medicine. You may need more frequent blood sugar and kidney function tests, or your doctor may need to adjust the dose of vildagliptin/metformin. It is especially important to mention the following:

• corticosteroids, generally used to treat inflammation
• beta-2 agonists, generally used to treat respiratory disorders
• other active principles used to treat diabetes
• diuretics, which increase urine production
• medicines used to treat pain and inflammation (NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors, such as ibuprofen and celecoxib)
• certain medicinesused to treat hypertension (ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists)
• determinants of thyroid function
• determinants of the nervous system
• determinants used to treat angina pectoris (e.g., ranolazine)
• determinants used to treat HIV infection (e.g., dolutegravir)
• determinants used to treat a specific type of thyroid cancer (medullary thyroid cancer) (e.g., vandetanib)
• determinants used to treat stomach acid and peptic ulcers (e.g., cimetidine)

Taking Vildagliptin/Metformin Almus with alcohol

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption while taking vildagliptin/metformin, as this may increase the risk of lactic acidosis (see section “Warnings and precautions”).

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using any medicine.

Driving and operating machinery

If you feel dizzy while taking vildagliptin/metformin, do not drive or operate tools or machines.

This medicine contains lactose and sodium

If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to certain sugars, consult with him before taking this medicine.

This medicine contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per tablet; that is, it is essentially “sodium-free”.

The dose of vildagliptin/metformin that each person should take varies depending on their condition. Your doctor will indicate exactly the dose of vildagliptin/metformin that you should take.

Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medication as indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

The recommended dose is a film-coated tablet of 50 mg/850 mg or 50 mg/1,000 mg twice a day.

If you have reduced renal function, your doctor may prescribe a lower dose. Your doctor may also prescribe a lower dose if you are taking a diabetes medication known as a sulfonylurea.

Your doctor may prescribe this medication alone or in combination with certain medications that lower blood sugar levels.

Form of use of Vildagliptin/Metformin

• Swallow the whole tablets with a glass of water
• Take one tablet in the morning and the other in the evening with meals or after meals. Taking the tablet after meals will reduce the risk of digestive discomfort.

The groove should not be used to break the tablet.

Follow your doctor's dietary advice. In particular, if you follow a weight control diet for diabetics, continue with the diet while taking vildagliptin/metformin.

If you take moreVildagliptin/Metforminthan you should

If you have taken too many vildagliptin/metformin tablets, or if someone else has taken your tablets,consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately.You may need medical attention. If you need to visit a doctor or go to the nearest hospital, bring the packaging and this leaflet with you.

In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicological Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.

If you forgot to takeVildagliptin/Metformin

If you forget to take a tablet, take it with the next meal, unless it is already time for the usual dose. Do not take a double dose (two tablets at once) to compensate for the missed doses.

If you interrupt the treatment with Vildagliptin/Metformin

Continue taking this medication while your doctor prescribes it for you to continue monitoring your blood sugar levels. Do not stop taking vildagliptin/metformin unless your doctor tells you to. If you have any doubts about the duration of treatment, consult your doctor.

If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.

Like all medicines, this medicinemay cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.

You shouldstop taking vildagliptin/metformin andimmediately consult your doctorif you experience any of the following side effects:

• Lactic acidosis(very rare: may affect up to1in 10,000 users):

Vildagliptin/metformin may cause a very rare but serious side effect called lactic acidosis (see section “Warnings and precautions”). If this occurs,you should stop taking vildagliptin/metformin and contact a doctor or the nearest hospital immediately, as lactic acidosis can lead to coma.

• Angioedema (rare:may affect up to 1 in 1,000people): symptoms that includeswollen face, tongue, or throat,difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, sudden appearance of hives or urticaria,which may be indicative of a reaction called “angioedema”.
• Liver disease (hepatitis) (rare): symptoms that includeyellowing of the skin and eyes, nausea, loss of appetite or dark-colored urine, which may be indicative of liver disease (hepatitis).
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) (unknown frequency): symptoms that includeintense and persistent abdominal pain (stomach area), which may reach your back, as well as nausea and vomiting.

Other side effects

Some patients have experienced the following side effects while taking vildagliptin/metformin:

• Frequent (may affect up to 1 in 10people): sore throat, nasal congestion, fever, itchy rash, excessive sweating, joint pain, dizziness, headache, uncontrolled tremor, constipation, nausea (discomfort), vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, heartburn, abdominal pain and stomach area pain.
• Infrequent (may affect up to 1 in 100people): fatigue, weakness, metallic taste, low blood glucose levels, loss of appetite, swollen hands, ankles, or feet (edema), chills, pancreatitis, muscle pain.

• Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000people): signs of having high levels of lactic acid in the blood (known as lactic acidosis) such as drowsiness or dizziness, severe vomiting and nausea, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat or deep, rapid breathing; skin redness, itching; decreased levels of vitamin B12 (pale skin, fatigue, mental symptoms such as confusion or memory alterations).

Since the marketing of this product, the following side effects have also been reported:

• Unknown frequency (cannot be estimated from available data): localized skin peeling or blisters, inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) that may cause skin eruptions or flat, pointed, red, and rounded patches under the skin's surface or bruises.

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any type of side effect, consult your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, even if it is a possible side effect that does not appear in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish System for Pharmacovigilance of Medicines for Human Use: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.

• Keep this medication out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the packaging and blisterafter “CAD”. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
• This medication does not require special storage conditions.

• Medications should not be disposed of through drains or in the trash. Dispose of the packaging and medications you no longer need at the SIGRE collection pointof the pharmacy. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medications you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.

Composition ofVildagliptin/Metformin Almus

• The active principles are vildagliptin and metformin hydrochloride.
• Each film-coated tablet of Vildagliptin/Metformin 50 mg/850 mg contains 50 mg of vildagliptin and 850 mg of metformin hydrochloride (corresponding to 663 mg of metformin).
• The other components are: hydroxypropylcellulose, lactose (see section 2), microcrystalline cellulose, sodium croscarmellose, stearate fumarate and sodium, hypromellose, titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol, talc, yellow iron oxide (E 172).

Appearance of the product and content of the container

Vildagliptin/Metformin 50 mg/850 mg film-coated tablets are yellow, oval, oblong tablets with a notch on one face and “VA” on the other face.

Dimensions of the tablet: 19.4 ± 0.5 mm.

Vildagliptin/Metformin is available in Alu/OPA-Alu-PVC blisters in containers with 60 film-coated tablets.

Marketing authorization holder and responsible for manufacturing

Marketing authorization holder

Almus Farmacéutica, S.A.U.

Marie Curie, 54

08840 Viladecans (Barcelona)

Spain

Phone: 93 739 71 80

Email:[email protected]

Responsible for manufacturing

SAG Manufacturing S.L.U.

Ctra. N-I, Km 36,

28750 San Agustín de Guadalix (Madrid)

Spain

Or

Galenicum Health, S.L.

Avda. Cornellá 144, 7º-1ª, Edificio Lekla

08950 Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona)

Spain

Last review date of this leaflet: May 2025

The detailed and updated information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS)http://www.aemps.gob.es/