50 mg, 70 mg powder for concentrate for infusion solution
kaspofungin
What Caspofungin Accord is and what it is used for
What Caspofungin Accord is
Caspofungin Accord contains a medicine called caspofungin. It belongs to a group of medicines called antifungals ( antifungals ).
What Caspofungin Accord is used for
Caspofungin Accord is used to treat the following infections in children, adolescents, and adults:
- severe fungal infections of tissues or organs (called “invasive candidiasis”). Infection is caused by fungal (yeast) cells called Candida. People who can get this type of infection include newly operated patients or those with a weakened immune system. Fever and chills that do not go away with antibiotic treatment are the most common symptoms of this type of infection.
- fungal infections of the nose, sinuses, or lungs (called “invasive aspergillosis”) if other antifungal agents have not had the expected effect or have caused side effects. This infection is caused by an organism called Aspergillus.People who can get this type of infection include those treated with chemotherapy, those who have undergone a transplant, and those with a weakened immune system.
- suspected fungal infections if you have a fever and low white blood cell count that does not go away with antibiotic treatment. People at risk of getting a fungal infection include those who have recently undergone surgery or those with a weakened immune system.
How Caspofungin Accord works
Caspofungin Accord makes fungal cells fragile and prevents the fungus from growing properly. This prevents infection one from spreading and gives the body’s natural defenses a chance to completely get rid of the infection a
2. What you need to know before you get Caspofungin Accord
Do not use Caspofungin Accord
- if you are allergic to caspofungin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
If you are not sure, talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before taking your medicine.
Warnings and cautions
Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before getting Caspofungin Accord about:
- if you are allergic to any other medicines
- if you have ever had liver problems – you may need another dose of this medicine
- if you are already taking ciclosporin (helps prevent transplant rejection or suppress the immune system) – as your doctor may need to take additional blood samples during your treatment
- if you have ever had other medical problems.
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before getting Caspofungin Accord.
Caspofungin Accord can also cause serious skin side effects such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
Other medicines and Caspofungin Accord
Tell your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription or herbal medicines. This is because the Caspofungin Accord may affect the way other medicines work. Other medicines may also affect the way Caspofungin Accord works.
Tell your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- ciclosporin or tacrolimus (helps prevent transplant rejection or suppress the immune system) as your doctor may need to take additional blood samples during your treatment
- certain anti- HIV medicines like efavirenz or nevirapine
- phenytoin or carbamazepine (used to treat seizures)
- dexamethasone (cortisone preparation)
- rifampicin (an antibiotic ).
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before getting Caspofungin Accord.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before using this medicine.
- Caspofungin Accord has not been studied in pregnant women. It should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the unborn baby.
- Women receiving Caspofungin Accord should not breast-feed.
Driving and using machines
There is no information to suggest that the Caspofungin Accord affects your ability to drive or use machines.
How to use Caspofungin Accord
Caspofungin Accord is prepared and always given by professional healthcare professionals.
You will receive Caspofungin Accord:
- Once a day
- with slow injection into a vein ( intravenous infusion )
- for about 1 hour.
Your doctor will determine the duration of treatment and how much Caspofungin Accord you will receive per day. Your doctor will check how well the medicine works for you. If you weigh more than 80 kg, you may need another dose.
Children and young people
Dose one for children and adolescents may differ from dose one to adults.
If you take more Caspofungin Accord than you should
Your doctor will decide how much Caspofungin Accord you need and the duration of treatment per day. If you are concerned that you have been given too much Caspofungin Accord, talk to your doctor or nurse immediately.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
If you get any of the following side effects, talk to your doctor or nurse immediately – you may need urgent medical attention:
- rash, itching, feeling hot, swelling of the face, lips or throat or difficulty breathing – you may have had a histamine reaction to the medicine
- difficulty breathing with wheezing or worsening of existing rash – you may have had an allergic reaction to the medicine
- cough, severe breathing difficulties – if you are an adult and have invasive aspergillosis you may have a serious breathing problem that may result in respiratory failure
- skin rash, flaky skin, sore mucous membranes, hives, large areas of flaky skin.
As with all prescription drugs, some side effects can be serious. Ask your doctor for more information.
Other side effects in adults include:
Common (may affect less than 1 user in 10):
- decreased hemoglobin (decreased amount of oxygen-transporting substance in the blood), decreased number of white blood cells
- decreased albumin (a type of protein ) in the blood, decreased potassium or low potassium levels in the blood
- headache
- inflammation of the vein
- respiratory distress
- diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
- changed values for certain blood tests (also applies to elevated values on certain liver samples)
- itching, rash, reddening of the skin or increased sweating
- joint pain
- chills, fever
- itching at the injection site.
Uncommon (may affect less than 1 user in 100):
- altered values for certain blood tests (including blood coagulation disorders, platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells )
- decreased appetite, increased amount of body fluid, imbalance in the body’s salt content, high blood sugar levels in the blood, low calcium levels in the blood, elevated calcium levels in the blood, low magnesium levels in the blood, increased acid levels in the blood
- confusion, nervous feeling, inability to sleep
- a feeling of dizziness, decreased sensation and sensitivity (especially in the skin), tremors, feeling of tiredness, change in taste, tingling or numbness
- blurred vision, increased amount of tears, swollen eyelids, yellowing of the whites of the eyes
- a feeling of fast or irregular heartbeat, fast heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, abnormal heart rhythm, heart failure
- hot flashes, hot flashes, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, redness along a vein that is also extremely tender to the touch
- tightening of the muscles around the airways that results in wheezing or coughing, rapid breathing, shortness of breath that wakes you up, lack of oxygen in the blood, abnormal breathing sounds, creaking sounds in the lungs, wheezing, nasal congestion, cough, sore throat
- abdominal pain, pain in the upper abdomen, flatulence, constipation, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, indigestion, gas, stomach upset, swelling due to accumulation of fluid around the abdomen
- decreased bile flow, liver enlargement, yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes, liver damage caused by drugs or chemicals, liver disorders
- abnormal skin tissue, general itching, hives, various types of skin rash, abnormal skin, red and often itchy spots on the arms and legs and sometimes on the face and on the rest of the body
- back pain, pain in an arm or leg, bone tissue pain, muscle pain, muscle weakness
- renal impairment, sudden renal impairment
- catheter entry pain, injection site problems ( redness, hardening, pain, swelling, irritation, rash, hives, fluid leakage from the catheter into tissue one), inflammation in the vein at the injection site
- elevated blood pressure and altered values for certain blood tests (including kidney electrolytes and coagulation tests), elevated levels of the drug you are taking which weakens the immune system
- chest discomfort, chest pain, feeling of changing body temperature, general malaise, general pain, swelling of face, swelling of ankles, hands or feet, swelling, tenderness, feeling of tiredness.
Additional side effects in children and adolescents
Very common (may affect more than 1 user in 10):
- fever.
V antigen (this may occur in less than 1 in 10):
- headache
- fast pulse
- hemorrhage, low blood pressure
- altered values for certain blood tests (elevated values on certain liver samples)
- itching, rash
- pain at the catheter area
- overindulge
- changed values for certain blood tests.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly to the Medical Products Agency, www.lakemedelsverket.se. By reporting side effects, you can help increase drug safety information.
5. How to store Caspofungin Accord
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and bottle (the first two digits indicate the month, the following four digits indicate the year). The expiration date is the last day of the specified month.
Store in a refrigerator (2 ° C to 8 ° C).
Once the Caspofungin Accord is completed, it should be used immediately. This is because it does not contain any substances that stop bacterial growth. Only trained healthcare professionals who have read the entire instructions for use should complete this medicine (see below “Instructions for Dissolving and Diluting Caspofungin Accord”).
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Contents of the packaging and other information
Content declaration
- The active substance is caspofungin. Each bottle of Caspofungin Accord contains 50 mg or 70 mg of caspofungin (as acetate).
- The other ingredients are sucrose, mannitol, succinic acid, and sodium hydroxide (please see section 2. What you need to know before you receive the Caspofungin Accord).
What the medicine looks like and the contents of the pack
Caspofungin Accord powder for concentrate for solution for infusion is a white to off-white powder.
Each pack contains a vial of powder.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Accord Healthcare SLU
World Trade Center, Moll de Barcelona, s / n,
Edifici Est 6ª planta,
08039 Barcelona,
Spain
Manufacturer
Accord Healthcare Limited
Sage House, 319 Pinner Road, North Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 4HF
UK
Xellia Pharmaceuticals ApS
Dalslandsgade 11, København S,
2300, Denmark