{"id":17511,"date":"2022-01-13T09:34:31","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T09:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/?p=17511"},"modified":"2022-01-14T16:24:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T16:24:07","slug":"melfalan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/medicines\/melfalan\/","title":{"rendered":"Melfalan &#8211; Melphalan uses, dose and side effects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>SUN 50 mg\u00a0powder and solvent for solution for injection\/infusion<br>melphalan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Melfalan is and what it is used for<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Melphalan SUN contains the active substance melphalan.&nbsp;Melfalan belongs to the group of&nbsp;chemotherapy drugs&nbsp;(also known as&nbsp;chemotherapy&nbsp;).&nbsp;Melfalan SUN is used to treat cancer.&nbsp;It works by&nbsp;inhibiting&nbsp;cell growth and slowing down the continued growth of tumor cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melfalan SUN is used to treat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Multiple&nbsp;myeloma&nbsp;(a type of cancer that develops from cells in the&nbsp;bone marrow&nbsp;called plasma cells. Plasma cells help to produce&nbsp;antibodies&nbsp;that are involved in the body&#8217;s immune system)<\/li><li>advanced ovarian cancer<\/li><li>neuroblastoma&nbsp;in children (nervous system cancer)<\/li><li>malignant&nbsp;melanoma&nbsp;(a type of skin cancer)<\/li><li>soft tissue sarcoma (cancer of muscles, fat, fibrous&nbsp;tissue&nbsp;, blood vessels, or other supporting&nbsp;tissue&nbsp;in the body).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melfalan contained in Melfalan SUN may also be approved for the treatment of other diseases not mentioned in this product information.\u00a0Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professionals if you have any further questions, and always follow their instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What you need to know before you use Melfalan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You should NOT have Melfalan SUN prescribed to you if any of the following apply to you.&nbsp;Tell your doctor about:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>you are allergic to melphalan or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)<\/li><li>you breastfeed<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warnings and cautions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before taking Melfalan SUN if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; you are receiving or have recently received radiation therapy or&nbsp;chemotherapy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; you have impaired kidney function<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; you should be vaccinated or have recently been vaccinated.\u00a0This is because some so-called live vaccines (such as polio, measles, mumps, and rubella) can give you an\u00a0infection\u00a0if you get them while you are being treated with Melfalan SUN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; you have or have ever had, a blood clot in your leg (\u00a0thrombosis\u00a0), lung (\u00a0pulmonary embolism\u00a0), or any other part of your body<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; you have a condition that gives you an increased risk of getting a blood clot in&nbsp;your&nbsp;arteries<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Men who receive Melfalan SUN should not become a father during treatment and for up to 3 months afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other medicines and Melfalan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tell your doctor or nurse if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tell your doctor or nurse in particular if you are taking any of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>other&nbsp;chemotherapy&nbsp;(&nbsp;chemotherapy&nbsp;)<\/li><li>nalidixic acid (an&nbsp;antibiotic&nbsp;used to treat urinary tract infections)<\/li><li>ciclosporin (used, for example, to prevent organ rejection after a transplant, to treat skin conditions such as&nbsp;psoriasis&nbsp;and&nbsp;eczema&nbsp;, or to treat rheumatism)<\/li><li>live vaccines (see Warnings and Precautions)<\/li><li>busulfan given to children (used to treat certain types of cancer).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pregnancy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melfalan SUN should not be used during pregnancy as it may cause permanent birth defects.\u00a0If you are already pregnant, you must talk to your doctor before receiving Melfalan SUN.\u00a0Your doctor will assess the risks and benefits for you and your child if you are being treated with Melfalan SUN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reliable contraceptives must be used to avoid pregnancy while you or your partner are receiving this injection\/infusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Breast-feeding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is unknown whether Melfalan SUN is excreted in human milk.\u00a0You should not breastfeed while taking Melfalan SUN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fertility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melfalan Sun can affect the ovaries or sperm, which can lead to&nbsp;infertility&nbsp;(inability to have children).&nbsp;In women, menstruation may stop (&nbsp;amenorrhea&nbsp;) and in men, a complete lack of sperm may be observed (&nbsp;azoospermia&nbsp;) as a result of treatment with Melfalan SUN.&nbsp;Therefore, men are advised to seek advice on sperm preservation before treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Male and female contraceptives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Men receiving Melfalan SUN should not have children during treatment and for up to 3 months afterward.\u00a0Talk to your doctor about effective and reliable contraceptives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Driving and using machines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Effects on the ability to drive and use machines in patients taking this medicine have not been studied.&nbsp;It is not expected that this medicine will affect your ability to drive or use machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are responsible for assessing whether you are fit to drive a motor vehicle or perform work that requires sharpened attention.\u00a0One of the factors that can affect your ability in these respects is the use of drugs due to their effects and\/or\u00a0side effects.\u00a0Descriptions of these effects and\u00a0side effects\u00a0can be found in other sections.\u00a0Read all the information in this leaflet for guidance.\u00a0If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Melfalan contains excipients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Melfalan&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>SUN contains&nbsp;sodium<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) per\u00a0dose, ie it is essentially &#8216;sodium-free&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Melfalan&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>SUN contains&nbsp;ethanol&nbsp;(alcohol)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This medicine contains 5%\u00a0ethanol\u00a0(alcohol), equivalent to 10 ml beer or 2.4 ml wine per\u00a0dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harmful to people suffering from alcoholism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This should be considered in pregnant or lactating women, children, and high-risk groups such as patients with liver disease or\u00a0epilepsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Melfalan&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>SUN contains propylene glycol<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May cause symptoms similar to alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to use Melfalan SUN<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have been prescribed Melfalan SUN, it will only be given to you by doctors or nurses with experience in giving\u00a0chemotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How Melfalan SUN is given<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melfalan SUN can be said<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>as a drop (&nbsp;infusion&nbsp;) in your friend<\/li><li>into an&nbsp;artery&nbsp;to a specific part of the body (&nbsp;perfusion&nbsp;).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How much Melfalan&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>SUN is given<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctor will decide how much Melfalan SUN to give you.&nbsp;The amount of Melfalan SUN depends on<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>your body weight or body surface area (a specific measurement with regard to your weight and your size)<\/li><li>other medicines you are taking<\/li><li>your illness<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; your age<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; if you have kidney problems or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you receive Melfalan SUN, your doctor will take blood samples regularly.&nbsp;This is done to check the number of blood cells in your blood.&nbsp;Sometimes your doctor may change your&nbsp;dose&nbsp;as a result of these test results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Risk of blood clots<\/strong>&nbsp;(&nbsp;<em>thromboembolic events<\/em>&nbsp;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctor will decide if you should receive preventive treatment for blood clots in your veins.&nbsp;This applies during the first 5 months of treatment, or if you have an increased risk of developing blood clots in the veins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use for children and adolescents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Melfalan SUN is rarely used in children.&nbsp;Guidelines for how Melfalan SUN should be dosed to children are not available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Use in elderly patients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dose adjustment information&nbsp;for&nbsp;elderly patients is not available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Use in patients with renal impairment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have kidney problems, your doctor will usually give you a lower&nbsp;dose&nbsp;than other adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you take more Melfalan SUN than you should<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You will get Melfalan SUN from a doctor, so it is unlikely that you will get too much.\u00a0Tell your doctor or nurse if you think you have received too much or if you have missed a\u00a0dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you forget to use Melfalan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctor will give you Melfalan SUN, so it is unlikely that you will miss a\u00a0dose\u00a0of this medicine.\u00a0If you think you have missed a\u00a0dose, skip that\u00a0dose\u00a0and you will receive the next\u00a0dose\u00a0at the next prescribed time.\u00a0Do not use an extra\u00a0dose\u00a0or increase the amount of your next\u00a0dose\u00a0to make up for a missed\u00a0dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you stop using Melfalan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you feel that you should stop taking this medicine, talk to your doctor first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Possible side effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like all medicines, this medicine can cause\u00a0side effects, although not everybody gets them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Serious&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;are<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you experience any of the following\u00a0side effects, contact your doctor or hospital immediately:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>allergic reaction&nbsp;.&nbsp;The characters may include:- skin rash, lumps on the skin or hives- swelling of the face, eyelids or lips- shortness of breath and feeling of tightness in the chest- collapse (due to cardiac arrest)<\/li><li>any signs of fever or infection (sore throat, mouth pain or urinary problems)<\/li><li>any unexpected bruising or bleeding or extreme fatigue, dizziness or shortness of breath, as this may mean that too few&nbsp;blood cells&nbsp;of a certain type are produced<\/li><li>if you suddenly feel sick (even with normal body temperature)<\/li><li>if your muscles ache, feel stiff or weak and your urine is darker than usual, brown or red when you have received Melfalan SUN directly in your arm or leg.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk to your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of blood clots in your veins, especially in your legs.\u00a0Symptoms include swelling, pain, and\u00a0redness\u00a0on the leg.\u00a0Blood clots can move through the blood vessels to the lungs, causing pain across the chest as well as difficulty breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Very common&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;(may affect more than 1 user in 10)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>fever<\/li><li>reduction in the number of blood cells and&nbsp;platelets<\/li><li>nausea, vomiting and diarrhea<\/li><li>cold sores (with high&nbsp;doses&nbsp;of Melfalan SUN)<\/li><li>hair loss (with high&nbsp;dose&nbsp;of Melfalan SUN)<\/li><li>a feeling of warmth and tingling at the site of administration<\/li><li>problems with your muscles such as stunted growth and pain when you receive Melfalan SUN directly in your arm or leg.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Common&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>hair loss with regular&nbsp;dose&nbsp;of Melfalan SUN<\/li><li>high levels of&nbsp;urea&nbsp;in the blood &#8211; in people with kidney damage who are being treated for&nbsp;myeloma<\/li><li>muscle problems that can cause pain, tightness, tingling, burning sensation or numbness (called compartment syndrome).&nbsp;This can happen when you get Melfalan SUN directly in your arm or leg.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rare&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>a disease in which you have a low number of&nbsp;red blood cells&nbsp;because they are destroyed prematurely.&nbsp;This can make you feel very tired, short of breath and dizzy and can give you a headache or make your skin or eyes yellow.<\/li><li>lung problems that can make you cough or hiss and make it difficult to breathe<\/li><li>liver problems that may show up in your blood tests or cause jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin)<\/li><li>cold sores with normal&nbsp;doses&nbsp;are of Melfalan SUN<\/li><li>skin rash or&nbsp;itching&nbsp;.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Has been reported (occurs in an unknown number of users)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>blood cancer (&nbsp;leukemia&nbsp;)<\/li><li>in women: missed periods (&nbsp;amenorrhea&nbsp;)<\/li><li>in men: absence of sperm in the semen (&nbsp;azoospermia&nbsp;)<\/li><li>muscle tissue death (muscle necrosis)<\/li><li>degradation of muscle fibers (&nbsp;rhabdomyolysis&nbsp;)<\/li><li>occurrence of a blood clot,&nbsp;thrombosis&nbsp;, in a deep vein, especially in the legs (deep venous&nbsp;thrombosis&nbsp;) and clogged pulmonary artery (&nbsp;pulmonary embolism&nbsp;)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to store Melfalan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label and the carton after EXP.\u00a0The expiration date is the last day of the specified month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not store above 30 \u00b0 C.&nbsp;Store in a cold place.&nbsp;Keep the vial in the outer carton.&nbsp;Sensitive to light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your Melfalan SUN is prepared for use by hospital staff.&nbsp;When finished, it should be used immediately and should not be stored or refrigerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste.&nbsp;Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required.&nbsp;These measures will help to protect the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contents of the pack and other information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content declaration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The active substance is melphalan hydrochloride.&nbsp;Each&nbsp;vial&nbsp;contains melphalan hydrochloride equivalent to 50 mg melphalan.&nbsp;The other ingredients are povidone and&nbsp;hydrochloric acid&nbsp;.&nbsp;Melphalan is dissolved in 10 ml of&nbsp;diluent&nbsp;before being injected.<\/li><li>The diluent contains water for injections, sodium citrate, propylene glycol and anhydrous&nbsp;ethanol&nbsp;.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the medicine looks like and contents of the pack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Each pack contains a\u00a0vial\u00a0of Melfalan SUN powder and a\u00a0vial\u00a0of\u00a0diluent.\u00a0The powder vial contains 50 mg of the active substance melphalan in powder form and the vial contains 10 ml of\u00a0diluent\u00a0to reconstitute (dissolve) the powder.\u00a0The powder is a white to off-white lyophilized powder\/cake and the diluent is a clear colorless liquid\/solution.\u00a0After reconstitution with 10 ml of\u00a0diluent, the resulting solution contains 5 mg\/ml melphalan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Marketing Authorisation Holder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Europe BV<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Polarisavenue 87<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2132 JH Hoofddorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Netherlands<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Europe BV<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Polarisavenue 87<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2132 JH Hoofddorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Netherlands<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SC Terapia SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>124 Fabricii Street<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>400632, Cluj-Napoca<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cluj County<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romania<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This medicinal product is authorized under the European Economic Area under the names:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Austria: Melphalan SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Denmark: Melphalan SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Germany: Melphalan SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>France: Melphalan SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italy: Melfalan SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Netherlands: Melfalan hydrochloride SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Norway: Melphalan SUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>United Kingdom: Melphalan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Melphalan SUN contains the active substance melphalan. Melfalan belongs to the group of chemotherapy drugs (also known as chemotherapy ). Melfalan SUN is used to treat cancer. It works by inhibiting cell growth and slowing down the continued growth of tumor cells.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2200,15580],"tags":[16930,16925,16926,16929,10955,16924,16927,10956,16928,10957],"class_list":["post-17511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-medicines","category-m","tag-benefits-of-melfalan","tag-benefits-of-melphalan","tag-melfalan","tag-melfalan-side-effects","tag-melphalan","tag-melphalan-side-effects","tag-what-is-melfalan","tag-what-is-melphalan","tag-what-melfalan-is-used-for","tag-what-melphalan-is-used-for"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17511"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17545,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17511\/revisions\/17545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}