Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection (Mylan Pharmaceuticals)
ABOUT THIS MEDICATION
What the medication is used for:
Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection is used for the treatment of:
ovarian cancer (metastatic) after failure of
initial or subsequent therapy.
sensitive small cell lung cancer after failure of
first line chemotherapy (defined as recurrence at least 60 days after first line chemotherapy).
What it does:
Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection helps destroy tumours. It acts on an enzyme (topoisomerase-I) to prevent growth of tumour cells.
When it should not be used:
Do not take Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection if:
you are hypersensitive (allergic) to topotecan
or any of the other ingredients of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection.
- you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
- you have severe kidney disease.
results of your last blood test show that you
are not able to receive topotecan hydrochloride (severe bone marrow depression). Your doctor will tell you.
What the medicinal ingredient is:
The medicinal ingredient is topotecan hydrochloride.
What the important nonmedicinal ingredients are:
The nonmedicinal ingredients consist of mannitol, tartaric acid, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide.
What dosage forms it comes in:
Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection for injection is supplied as sterile powder in single-dose vials. Each vial contains 4 mg of topotecan. Before infusion the powder needs to be reconstituted and diluted.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Serious Warnings and Precautions
Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection should be administered under the supervision of a physician experienced in the use of cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Possible serious side effect includes:
- a decrease in the number of cells produced in your bone marrow (bone marrow suppression), especially a type of white blood cells called neutrophils (neutropenia).
- Bowel inflammation which may cause severe pain in your abdomen, with fever and a decrease in white blood cells which can potentially be fatal (neutropenic colitis).
- Lung inflammation which may cause severe coughing, shortness of breath and fever which can potentially be fatal (interstitial lung disease).
BEFORE you use Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:
- you are hypersensitive (allergic) to topotecan or any of the other ingredients of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection.
- you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
- results of your last blood test show that you are not able to receive topotecan hydrochloride, your doctor will tell you.
- you have kidney disease.
Use of this medicine during Pregnancy and Breast Feeding
You should not be given Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection if you are pregnant or think you are pregnant.
Nursing Mothers
Do not breast-feed if you are receiving Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection. You should not restart breast-feeding until the doctor tells you it is safe.
Use in Children
Use in children is not recommended as safety and effectiveness have not been established.
Effect on ability to drive and use machinery
Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection may make you feel tired. Do not drive or operate any tools or machines if you feel tired or weak.
INTERACTIONS WITH THIS MEDICATION
It is important that your doctor know about all your medications so that you get the best possible treatment. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking including those you have bought without a prescription.
PROPER USE OF THIS MEDICATION
Usual dose:
The dose of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection which you will receive will be based on your body size (surface area) and the results of blood tests carried out before treatment.
The recommended dose of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection is 1.5 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes daily for 5 consecutive days, starting on day one of a 21-day course. Prior to administration, Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection powder must be dissolved with water. The Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection solution will be diluted further using either Sodium Chloride solution or Dextrose solution. A minimum of four courses of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection is recommended.
Insufficient data are available in children to provide a dosage recommendation.
Remember: This medicine is for you. Only a doctor can prescribe it for you. Never give it to someone else. It may harm them even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
Overdose:
In case of drug overdose, contact a health care practitioner, hospital emergency department or
regional Poison Control Centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms.
Accidental overdosage may result in low blood pressure, fast heart rate and bleeding of the bowel.
SIDE EFFECTS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Like all medicines, topotecan hydrochloride can have side effects. The most common side effects with topotecan hydrochloride are:
- a temporary reduction in the amount of new blood cells produced by your body, particularly of a type of white blood cell which is important for your body to prevent and fight off an infection. In approximately 1 in 20 patients a serious infection is caught during treatment which can be fatal. If at any time during treatment you feel unwell or develop a temperature you should contact your doctor immediately.
- you may become temporarily anemic and tired or take longer for a minor injury to stop bleeding. The reduction in the amount of blood cells (lasts for only a few days), starting from approximately day 8 of each treatment cycle and lasting for about a week. In most cases the level of blood cells return to normal in time for the next cycle of treatment.
Other possible side effects are:
- nausea (feeling sick or queasy or having the urge to throw up)
- vomiting (throwing up)
- diarrhea (frequent and watery bowel movements)
- fever
- hair loss
- stomach pain
- constipation
- swelling and pain of the mouth, tongue or gums
- fatigue (tiredness)
- weakness
- anorexia (weight loss and loss of appetite)
- feeling unwell
- headache
- coughing
- shortness of breath
- yellow skin (jaundice)
- rash
- itching sensation
mild pain and inflammation at the site of
injection. Severe allergic reactions have been reported rarely.
lung inflammation (interstitial lung disease)
has been reported rarely. Signs include difficulty in breathing, severe cough and fever.
Several of these effects may occur during your treatment. If you notice any of these, or any other effects not mentioned in this leaflet between courses or when you leave hospital/after treatment has finished, tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
| Frequency | Side Effect/Symptom | Talk with your Doctor immediately |
Very Common | Any sign of fever or infection, or any unexpected bruising or bleeding. | √ |
| Common | Serious infection; local symptoms such as sore throat or urinary problems (for example, a burning sensation when urinating, which may be caused by a urinary infection) | √ |
| Uncommon | Immediate allergic reaction and symptoms such as swelling of the mouth, throat, difficulty in breathing, rash, hives, increased heart rate, and collapse. | √ |
| Rare | Severe bleeding. | √ |
Severe abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea (rarely with blood). These could be signs of bowel inflammation (colitis) | √ | |
Severe cough, shortness of breath, fever (interstitial lung disease) You are at an increased risk if you have had radiation treatment to your lungs, or have previously taken medicines that caused lung damage | √ |
This is not a complete list of side effects. For any unexpected effects while taking Topotecan
Hydrochloride for Injection contact your doctor or pharmacist.
HOW TO STORE IT
Unopened vials of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection are stable until the date indicated on the package when stored between 15 and 30ºC (59º and 86ºF) and protected from light in the original package.
Reconstituted Solutions
Vials which have been reconstituted with Water for Injection are stable for up to 24 hours when refrigerated at 5ºC (41ºF) or stored at 30ºC (86ºF).
However, since the vials contain no preservative, it is recommended that the product should be used immediately after reconstitution. If not used immediately, the reconstituted solution should be stored in a refrigerator and discarded after 24 hours.
Diluted solutions
Reconstituted vials of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection diluted for infusion are stable for up to 24 hours at approximately 20 to 25ºC (68 to 77ºF) and ambient lighting conditions. If not used immediately, the diluted solution should be stored in a refrigerator in line with good pharmaceutical practice.
Reporting Side Effects
You can help improve the safe use of health products for Canadians by reporting serious and
unexpected side effects to Health Canada. Your report may help to identify new side effects and change the product safety information. 3 ways to report:
- Online at MedEffect (http://hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/index-eng.php);
- By calling 1-866-234-2345 (toll-free);
By completing a Consumer Side Effect
Reporting Form and sending it by:
- Fax to 1-866-678-6789 (toll-free), or
Mail to: Canada Vigilance Program Health Canada,
Postal Locator 0701E Ottawa, ON
K1A 0K9
Postage paid labels and the Consumer Side Effect Reporting Form are available at MedEffect (http://hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp- mps/medeff/index-eng.php).
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.
MORE INFORMATION
This document plus the full product monograph, prepared for health professionals, can be obtained by contacting the sponsor, Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC at: 1-800-575-1379
Etobicoke, Ontario M8Z 2S6
Prepared on: February 18, 2015
Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC
Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2S6
1-800-575-1379
www.mylan.ca