25 mg, 100 mg and 100 mg film-coated tablets
erlotinib
What Erlotinib Krka is and what it is used for
Erlotinib Krka contains the active substance erlotinib. Erlotinib Krka is a medicine used to treat cancer by preventing the activity of a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This protein is known to be involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells.
Erlotinib Krka is used in adults. This medicine can be prescribed for you if you have non-small cell lung cancer at an advanced stage. It can be prescribed as an initial treatment or as treatment if your disease is largely unchanged after initial chemotherapy, provided that your cancer cells have specific EGFR mutations. It can also be prescribed if previous chemotherapy has not been able to stop your disease.
This medicine can also be prescribed to you in combination with another treatment called gemcitabine if you have pancreatic cancer with the spread.
Erlotinib contained in Erlotinib Krka may also be approved for the treatment of other conditions not mentioned in this product information. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or another healthcare professional if you have any further questions, and always follow their instructions.
What you need to know before you use Erlotinib Krka
Do not use Erlotinib Krka
- if you are allergic to erlotinib or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
Warnings and cautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Erlotinib Krka:
- if you are taking other medicines that may increase or decrease the amount of erlotinib in your blood or affect the effect of erlotinib (eg antifungals such as ketoconazole, protease inhibitors, erythromycin, clarithromycin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, barbiturates, rifampicin, ciprofloxacin, St. John’s wort or proteasome inhibitor), talk to your doctor. In some cases, these medicines may reduce the effectiveness or increase the side effects of Erlotinib Krka and your doctor may need to adjust your treatment. Your doctor may avoid treating you with these medicines during your treatment with Erlotinib Krka.
- If you are taking anticoagulants (a medicine that helps prevent blood clots or clotting of the blood, such as warfarin ), Erlotinib Krka may increase your tendency to bleed. Talk to your doctor, he will regularly need to examine you with some blood tests.
- If you are taking statins (medicines that lower your blood cholesterol), Erlotinib Krka may increase the risk of statin-related muscle problems, which in rare cases can lead to severe muscle breakdown ( rhabdomyolysis ) leading to kidney damage, talk to your doctor.
- If you wear contact lenses and/or if you have previously had eye problems such as severe dry eyes, inflammation of the front of the eye ( cornea ), or sores in the front of the eye, tell your doctor.
See also below “Other medicines and Erlotinib Krka”.
You should inform your doctor:
- if you suddenly have difficulty breathing associated with coughing or fever as your doctor may need to treat you with other medicines and stop your treatment with Erlotinib Krka;
- if you have diarrhea because your doctor may need to treat you with medicines for diarrhea (eg loperamide);
- immediately if you have severe or persistent diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, or vomiting as your doctor may need to stop your treatment with Erlotinib Krka and you may need hospitalization ;
- if you have severe abdominal pain, severe blisters, or flaking of the skin. Your doctor may need to stop or stop your treatment.
- If you develop acute or worsening redness and pain in the eye, increased tear flow, blurred vision, and/or photosensitivity, contact your doctor or nurse immediately as you may need urgent care (see Possible side effects below).
- if you also take a statin and notice unexplained muscle pain, soreness, weakness, or cramps. Your doctor may need to stop or stop your treatment.
See also section 4 “Possible side effects”.
Liver or kidney disease
It is not known if Erlotinib Krka has a different effect if your liver or kidneys do not function normally. Treatment with this medicine is not recommended if you have severe liver disease or severe kidney disease.
Disruption of glucuronidation such as Gilbert’s disease
Your doctor must treat you with caution if you have any glucuronidation disorder such as Gilbert’s disease.
Smoking
You should stop smoking when you are being treated with Erlotinib Krka as smoking may reduce the amount of your medicine in your blood.
Children and young people
Erlotinib Krka has not been studied in patients under 18 years of age. Treatment with this drug is not recommended for children and adolescents.
Other medicines and Erlotinib Krka
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines.
Erlotinib Krka with food, drink, and alcohol
Do not take Erlotinib Krka with food. See also section 3 “How to take Erlotinib Krka”.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
Avoid getting pregnant during your treatment with Erlotinib Krka. If you can get pregnant, use reliable contraception during treatment, and for at least 2 weeks after taking the last tablet.
If you become pregnant during your treatment with Erlotinib Krka, tell your doctor immediately who will decide whether to continue treatment.
Do not breast-feed if you are being treated with Erlotinib Krka, and for at least 2 weeks after taking the last tablet.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
Erlotinib Krka has not been studied for its possible effects on the ability to drive or use machines, but it is very unlikely that your treatment will affect this ability.
You are responsible for assessing whether you are fit to drive a motor vehicle or perform work that requires sharpened attention. One of the factors that can affect your ability in these respects is the use of drugs due to their effects and/or side effects. Descriptions of these effects and side effects can be found in other sections. Read all the information in this leaflet for guidance. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Erlotinib Krka contains lactose and sodium
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) sodium per tablet, ie essentially ‘sodium-free’.
How to use Erlotinib Krka
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.
The tablet should be taken at least one hour before or two hours after food.
The usual dose is one tablet of Erlotinib Krka 150 mg daily if you have non-small cell lung cancer.
The usual dose is one tablet of Erlotinib Krka 100 mg every day if you have spread pancreatic cancer. Erlotinib Krka is given with gemcitabine.
Your doctor may need to adjust your dose step by step with 50 mg at a time. For the different dosages, Erlotinib Krka is available in strengths of 25 mg, 100 mg, and 150 mg.
If you use more Erlotinib Krka then you should
Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
You may experience increased side effects and your doctor may stop your treatment.
If you have ingested too much medicine or if, for example, a child has accidentally ingested the medicine, contact a doctor, hospital, or the Poison Information Center immediately for risk assessment and advice.
If you forget to use Erlotinib Krka
If you miss one or more doses of Erlotinib Krka, contact your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop using Erlotinib Krka
It is important to continue taking Erlotinib Krka every day for as long as your doctor prescribes it for you.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you get any of the following side effects. In some cases, your doctor may need to reduce your dose of Erlotinib Krka or discontinue treatment:
- Diarrhea or vomiting (very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people). Persistent and severe diarrhea can cause low levels of potassium in the blood and impair your kidney function, especially if you are receiving other chemotherapy at the same time. If you experience severe or persistent diarrhea, contact your doctor immediately as you may need hospitalization.
- Eye irritation due to corneal and/or conjunctivitis (very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people) and keratitis ( corneal inflammation ) (common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people).
- A form of a lung disease called interstitial lung disease (less common in European patients; common in Japanese patients: may affect up to 1 in 100 people in Europe and up to 1 in 10 people in Japan). This disease can also be associated with the natural course of your medical condition and can in some cases be fatal. If you get symptoms such as sudden difficulty breathing associated with cough and fever, contact your doctor immediately, as you may be suffering from this disease. Your doctor may decide to stop your treatment with Erlotinib Krka.
- Perforation in the gastrointestinal tract has been observed (less common: may affect up to 1 in 100 people). Tell your doctor if you have severe abdominal pain. Also tell your doctor if you have had a stomach ulcer or diverticular disease before, as it may increase this risk.
- In rare cases, liver failure has been observed (rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people). If your blood tests indicate severe changes in your liver function, your doctor may need to stop your treatment.
Very common side effects are (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
- Skin rashes may appear or worsen on sun-exposed surfaces. If you are exposed to the sun, protective clothing and/or the use of sunscreen (eg mineral content) may be appropriate.
- Infection
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
- Depression
- Headache, altered sensitivity of the skin, or numbness in the arms and legs
- Breathing difficulties, cough
- Nausea
- Irritation in the mouth
- Stomach pain, stomach upset, and flatulence
- Abnormal liver function values
- Itching, dry skin, and hair loss
- Fatigue, fever, chills
Common side effects are (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
- Nasal bleeding
- Bleeding from the stomach or intestines
- Inflammatory reactions around fingernails
- Inflammation of hair follicles
- Acne
- Skin cracks (skin fissures)
- Renal impairment (when Erlotinib Krka is given outside the approved indication in combination with chemotherapy )
Less common side effects are (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
- Changes to lash s
- Increased hair with a male pattern on the body and face
- Changes in eyebrows
- Fragile and loose nails
Rare side effects are (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
- Reddened or painful palms or soles of the feet (hand-foot syndrome)
Very rare side effects are (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
- Cases of ulceration or perforation of the cornea
- Severe blisters or flaking of the skin (may indicate Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
- Inflammation of the colored part of the eye
5. How to store Erlotinib Krka
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 after EXP. The expiration date is the last day of the specified month.
Store in the blister pack. Moisture sensitive.
No special temperature instructions
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 erlotinib. Erlotinib Krka 25 mg film-coated tablets Each film-coated tablet contains 25 mg of erlotinib (as hydrochloride). Erlotinib Krka 100 mg film-coated tablets Each film-coated tablet contains 100 mg of erlotinib (as hydrochloride). Erlotinib Krka 150 mg film-coated tablets Each film-coated tablet contains 150 mg of erlotinib (as hydrochloride).
- The other ingredients are lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose (E460), hydroxypropylcellulose (E463), sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium starch glycolate (Type A), calcium silicate (E552), magnesium stearate (E470b) in tablet kernel (E4l417), and prom ), talc (E553b), red iron oxide (E172) (for 100 mg only) and yellow iron oxide (E172) (only for 25 mg and 100 mg) in the film coating. See section 2 “Erlotinib Krka contains lactose and sodium”.
What the medicine looks like and the contents of the pack
Erlotinib Krka 25 mg film-coated tablets
Pale yellow, round, slightly biconvex, film-coated tablets with beveled edges, marked with 25 on one side of the tablet. Tablet dimension: diameter approx. 6 mm.
Erlotinib Krka 100 mg film-coated tablets
Pale orange-pink, round, slightly biconvex, film-coated tablets with beveled edges, marked with 100 on one side of the tablet. Tablet dimension: diameter approx. 11 mm.
Erlotinib Krka 150 mg film-coated tablets
White to off-white, round, biconvex, film-coated tablets with beveled edges, marked with 150 on one side of the tablet. Tablet dimension: diameter approx. 12 mm.
Erlotinib Krka is available in blister packs containing: 30 and 60 film-coated tablets in a carton.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
KRKA, dd, Novo mesto, Šmarješka cesta 6, 8501 Novo mesto, Slovenia
Manufacturer
KRKA, dd, Novo mesto, Šmarješka cesta 6, 8501 Novo mesto, Slovenia
KRKA-FARMA doo, V.Holjevca 20 / E, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia