Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Camcevi (Accord Healthcare, 42 mg)
What is CAMCEVI used for?
CAMCEVI is used for the treatment of adult patients with advanced prostate cancer.
How does CAMCEVI work?
CAMCEVI belongs to a group of medicines called Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) analogues.
CAMCEVI contains leuprolide. It works by blocking the action of androgens (hormones like testosterone). This will shrink or stop the growth of prostate cancer cells which may result in reduced symptoms related to the disease.
What are the ingredients in CAMCEVI?
Medicinal ingredients: Leuprolide mesylate
Non-medicinal ingredients: N-methylpyrrolidone; Poly (D, L-lactide).
CAMCEVI comes in the following dosage forms:
Extended release emulsion: 42 mg leuprolide (as leuprolide mesylate) in a pre-filled syringe.
Serious Warnings and Precautions
CAMCEVI should be prescribed by a healthcare professional experienced with the use of hormonal therapy in prostate cancer. CAMCEVI may cause:
See the Serious side effects and what to do about them table, below, for more information on these and other serious side effects. |
Do not use CAMCEVI if:
- you are allergic to leuprolide mesylate or any other ingredients in CAMCEVI.
- you have had an allergic reaction to CAMCEVI or other drugs like CAMCEVI, including a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock).
- you are a woman.
- you are pregnant or may become pregnant. Leuprolide may cause miscarriage or may cause harm to an unborn baby.
- you are breast-feeding.
- you are younger than 18 years of age.
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take CAMCEVI. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:
- have a history of urinary tract obstruction.
- have had spread of cancer to the bones of the spine (vertebrae).
- have a history of spinal cord compression.
have risk factors for bone thinning (osteoporosis), such as if you:
- have a family history of severe osteoporosis
- have low bone mineral density
- are taking any medication that can cause thinning of the bones. For example, corticosteroids or anti-convulsive (anti-seizure) medications
use alcohol or tobacco.
- have heart disease, or a genetic heart condition called “Long QT syndrome”.
Other warnings you should know about:
CAMCEVI can cause serious side effects, including:
- Cardiovascular problems, such as: heart attack, sudden cardiac death (sudden loss of heart function) and stroke. It may also cause changes to your heart rhythm.
Hyperglycemia (increase in blood sugar) and Diabetes (high blood sugar).
- CAMCEVI may increase your blood sugar levels. This may increase your risk of diabetes or worsen the symptoms in patients with diabetes.
- If you have diabetes, talk to your healthcare professional before you are given CAMCEVI. You may need to test your blood sugar and fat levels more frequently during treatment.
- Your healthcare professional may need to give or change your blood sugar medicine. This will help control your blood sugar levels.
Anemia (decreased number of red blood cells)
- CAMCEVI suppresses the production of testosterone. This may cause a decrease in the number of red blood cells (anemia).
- If you have anemia, talk to your healthcare professional before you are given CAMCEVI.
- Convulsions.
- Pneumonitis (inflammation of the lung tissue).
- Severe skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) and Erythema Multiforme may occur while taking CAMCEVI. These can be life-threatening or fatal. Symptoms include rash, peeling skin, fever and flu-like symptoms. Contact your healthcare professional right away if you have any of these symptoms.
See the Serious side effects and what to do about them table, below, for more information on these and other serious side effects.
Hypogonadism (reduced production of sex hormone)
Treatment with CAMCEVI may reduce the production of male sex hormones. This can lead to side effects such as loss of sexual desire and inability to maintain erection (impotence).
Fertility
Treatment with CAMCEVI may decrease your ability to have children. Talk to your healthcare professional if this is a concern for you.
Monitoring and laboratory tests
Your healthcare professional will regularly monitor and assess your health while you are being treated with CAMCEVI. This may include blood tests, urine tests, bone scans (such as ultrasonography and/or CT scan) and ECG recording.
Driving and using machines
CAMCEVI can cause fatigue and dizziness. Before you drive or do tasks that require special attention, wait until you know how you respond to CAMCEVI.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
The following may interact with CAMCEVI:
- antiarrhythmic drugs (used to treat abnormal heart rhythm) such as: quinidine, disopyramide, amiodarone, sotalol, dofetilide, ibutilide, dronedarone, flecainide, propafenone
- antipsychotic drugs (used to treat mental disorders) such as: chlorpromazine
- antidepressant drugs (used to treat depression) such as: amitrptyline, nortryptiline
- opioid drugs (used to treat pain), such as methadone
- antibiotics (used to treat bacterial infections), such as: erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, moxifloxacin
- antifungals (used to treat fungal infections)
- antimalarials (used to treat malaria), such as quinine
- drugs belonging to a class called beta-2 agonists (used to treat asthma), such as salbutamol
- drugs belonging to a class called 5-HT3 antagonists (used to treat nausea), such as ondansetron
How to take CAMCEVI:
CAMCEVI will be given to you by a healthcare professional in a healthcare setting. CAMCEVI is given by injection under the skin (subcutaneously).
Usual dose:
42 mg once every 6 months.
Overdose:
| If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have been given too much CAMCEVI, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, regional poison control centre or Health Canada’s toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) immediately, even if there are no signs or symptoms. |
|---|
Missed Dose:
It is very important that you keep all scheduled appointments with your healthcare professional. If you miss an appointment by a few days, it should not disrupt the benefits of treatment. But you must follow your drug administration schedules for the therapy to be effective.
If you miss an appointment to receive your dose of CAMCEVI, contact your health professional as soon as possible.
What are possible side effects from using CAMCEVI?
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking CAMCEVI. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.
Side effects include:
- hot flash
- skin reaction at injection site (ex. burning and stinging, pain, redness, itching and/or swelling)
- fatigue
- pain in muscles, ligaments, tendons or bones (musculoskeletal pain)
- pain in extremity
- joint pain
- regularly waking up at night to urinate (nocturia)
- urinary urgency
- dizziness
- upper respiratory tract infection (such as a cold)
If any of the above symptoms affects you severely, contact your healthcare professional.
CAMCEVI may cause abnormal blood test results. Your healthcare professional will decide when to perform blood tests and will interpret the results.
| Serious side effects and what to do about them | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious side effects and what to do about them | |||
| Serious side effects and what to do about them | |||
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| VERY COMMON | |||
| Hypertension (high blood pressure): severe headaches, nosebleed, vision problems, shortness of breath, fatigue or confusion, dizziness or fainting, chest pain or pressure, swelling in your ankles and legs, bluish colour to your lips and skin, racing pulse or heart palpitations | ✓ | ||
| COMMON | |||
| Osteoporosis (thin, fragile bones): broken bones, pain, back pain that gets worse when standing or walking | ✓ | ||
| Prolongation of QT interval (a heart rhythm condition): Irregular heartbeat, | ✓ | ||
| fainting, loss of consciousness, seizures | |||
| Subdural haematoma (bleeding within the skull): headache that doesn’t go away; drowsiness; confusion, memory changes; speech or language problems; paralysis, loss of consciousness | ✓ | ||
| Tumor flare (worsening of the symptoms of prostate cancer at the beginning of the treatment): increase in the severity of side effects or new pain after starting hormone therapy | ✓ | ||
| UNCOMMON | |||
| Atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm which is rapid and irregular): chest discomfort with unpleasant awareness of your heartbeat, faintness, shortness of breath, weakness | ✓ | ||
| Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the deep veins of the leg or arm): swelling, pain, arm or leg may be warm to the touch and may appear red | ✓ | ||
| Diabetes: with symptoms such as excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive eating, unexplained weight loss, poor wound healing, infections | ✓ | ||
| Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar): increased thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, headache, blurred vision and fatigue | ✓ | ||
| Myocardial infarction (heart attack): pressure or squeezing pain between the shoulder blades, in the chest, jaw, left arm or upper abdomen, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, light-headedness, clammy skin, sweating, indigestion, anxiety, feeling faint and possible irregular heartbeat | ✓ | ||
| VERY RARE | |||
| Pituitary apoplexy (bleeding or decreased blood flow to your pituitary gland): sudden headache, vomiting, visual changes | ✓ | ||
| UNKNOWN | |||
| Anemia (decreased number of red blood cells): fatigue, loss of energy, looking pale, shortness of breath, weakness | ✓ | ||
| Convulsion: seizure, spasms, shaking or fits | ✓ | ||
| Fatty liver (excess fat build up in the liver): fatigue, feeling unwell, pain or discomfort in the upper right belly or there may be no symptoms at all | ✓ | ||
| Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions): fever, skin rash, hives, itching, shortness of breath, sudden wheeziness and chest pain or tightness, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, swelling of eyelids, face, lips, tongue or throat | ✓ | ||
| Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC)/idiopathic intracranial hypertension (increased pressure in your head/around your brain): headache, eye problems, including blurred vision, double vision, decreased eyesight and eye pain, ringing in the ears, dizziness, nausea | ✓ | ||
| Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), Erythema Multiforme (severe skin reaction/rash): redness, blistering and/or peeling of the skin and/or inside of the lips, eyes, mouth, nasal passages or genitals, itching, pain, skin dryness, accompanied by fever, chills, headache, cough, body aches or swollen glands | ✓ | ||
| Pneumonitis (inflammation of the lung tissue): shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss | ✓ | ||
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.
Storage:
CAMCEVI will be managed and stored by healthcare professionals. The information below on how to store CAMCEVI is meant for your healthcare professional.
CAMCEVI should be stored refrigerated between 2°C to 8°C (36-46°F). Do NOT freeze.
Store in the original package and protect from light.
Keep out of reach and sight of children.
If you want more information about CAMCEVI:
- Talk to your healthcare professional
- Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada website: (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html); or by calling Accord Healthcare Inc. at 1-866-296-0354.
Last Revised: JUN 16, 2025
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. |