Friday, September 9, 2016

Mycophenolate mofetil Sandoz 500 mg Film-coated Tablets





1. Name Of The Medicinal Product



Mycophenolate mofetil Sandoz 500 mg Film-coated Tablets


2. Qualitative And Quantitative Composition



Each film-coated tablets contains 500 mg of mycophenolate mofetil.



For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.



3. Pharmaceutical Form



Film-coated tablet:



Lavender coloured, film-coated biconvex tablet plain on both the sides.



4. Clinical Particulars



4.1 Therapeutic Indications



Mycophenolate is indicated in combination with ciclosporin and corticosteroids for the prophylaxis of acute transplant rejection in patients receiving allogeneic renal, cardiac or hepatic transplants.



4.2 Posology And Method Of Administration



Treatment with Mycophenolate should be initiated and maintained by appropriately qualified transplant specialists.



Use in renal transplant:



Adults: oral Mycophenolate should be initiated within 72 hours following transplantation. The recommended dose in renal transplant patients is 1.0 g administered twice daily (2 g daily dose).



Children and adolescents (aged 2 to 18 years): the recommended dose of mycophenolate mofetil is 600 mg/m2 administered orally twice daily (up to a maximum of 2 g daily). Mycophenolate mofetil 500 mg tablets should only be prescribed to patients with a body surface area greater than 1.5 m2, at a dose of 1 g twice daily (2 g daily dose). As some adverse reactions occur with greater frequency in this age group (see section 4.8) compared with adults, temporary dose reduction or interruption may be required; these will need to take into account relevant clinical factors including severity of reaction.



Children (< 2 years): there are limited safety and efficacy data in children below the age of 2 years. These are insufficient to make dosage recommendations and therefore use in this age group is not recommended.



Use in cardiac transplant:



Adults: oral Mycophenolate should be initiated within 5 days following transplantation. The recommended dose in cardiac transplant patients is 1.5 g administered twice daily (3 g daily dose).



Children: no data are available for pediatric cardiac transplant patients.



Use in hepatic transplant:



Adults: intravenous Mycophenolate should be administered for the first 4 days following hepatic transplant, with oral Mycophenolate initiated as soon after this as it can be tolerated. The recommended oral dose in hepatic transplant patients is 1.5 g administered twice daily (3 g daily dose).



Children: no data are available for pediatric hepatic transplant patients.



Use in elderly (: the recommended dose of 1.0 g administered twice a day for renal transplant patients and 1.5 g twice a day for cardiac or hepatic transplant patients is appropriate for the elderly.



Use in renal impairment: in renal transplant patients with severe chronic renal impairment (glomerular filtration rate '< 25 ml/min/1.73 m2), outside the immediate post-transplant period, doses greater than 1 g administered twice a day should be avoided. These patients should also be carefully observed.



No dose adjustments are needed in patients experiencing delayed renal graft function post-operatively (see section 5.2). No data are available for cardiac or hepatic transplant patients with severe chronic renal impairment.



Use in severe hepatic impairment: no dose adjustments are needed for renal transplant patients with severe hepatic parenchymal disease. No data are available for cardiac transplant patients with severe hepatic parenchymal disease.



Treatment during rejection episodes: MPA (mycophenolic acid) is the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil. Renal transplant rejection does not lead to changes in MPA pharmacokinetics; dosage reduction or interruption of Mycophenolate is not required. There is no basis for Mycophenolate dose adjustment following cardiac transplant rejection. No pharmacokinetic data are available during hepatic transplant rejection.



4.3 Contraindications



Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.



Mycophenolate is contraindicated in women who are breast-feeding (see section 4.6).



For information on use in pregnancy and contraceptive requirements see section 4.6.



4.4 Special Warnings And Precautions For Use



Patients receiving immunosuppressive regimens involving combinations of medicinal products, including mycophenolate, are at increased risk of developing lymphomas and other malignancies, particularly of the skin (see section 4.8). The risk appears to be related to the intensity and duration of immunosuppression rather than to the use of any specific agent. As general advice to minimize the risk for skin cancer, exposure to sunlight and UV light should be limited by wearing protective clothing and using a sunscreen with a high protection factor.



Patients receiving mycophenolate should be instructed to report immediately any evidence of infection, unexpected bruising, bleeding or any other manifestation of bone marrow depression.



Oversuppression of the immune system increases the susceptibility to infection including opportunistic infections, fatal infections and sepsis (see section 4.8).



Cases of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), sometimes fatal, have been reported in mycophenolate mofetil treated patients. The reported cases generally had risk factors for PML, including immunosuppressant therapies and impairment of immune function. In immunosuppressed patients, physicians should consider PML in the differential diagnosis in patients reporting neurological symptoms and consultation with a Neurologist should be considered as clinically indicated.



Consideration should be given to reducing the total immunosuppression in patients who develop PML.



In transplant patients, however, reduced immunosuppression may place the graft at risk.



Patients receiving mycophenolate should be monitored for neutropenia, which may be related to mycophenolate itself, concomitant medications, viral infections, or some combination of these causes. Patients taking mycophenolate should have complete blood counts weekly during the first month, twice monthly for the second and third months of treatment, then monthly through the first year. If neutropenia develops (absolute neutrophil count < 1.3 x 103/µl) it may be appropriate to interrupt or discontinue mycophenolate.



Patients should be advised that during treatment with mycophenolate vaccinations may be less effective and the use of live attenuated vaccines should be avoided (see section 4.5). Influenza vaccination may be of value. Prescribers should refer to national guidelines for influenza vaccination.



Because mycophenolate has been associated with an increased incidence of digestive system adverse events, including infrequent cases of gastrointestinal tract ulceration, haemorrhage and perforation, mycophenolate should be administered with caution in patients with active serious digestive system disease.



Mycophenolate is an IMPDH (inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase) inhibitor. On theoretical grounds, therefore, it should be avoided in patients with rare hereditary deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT) such as Lesch-Nyhan and Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome.



It is recommended that mycophenolate not be administered concomitantly with azathioprine because such concomitant administration has not been studied.



In view of the significant reduction in the AUC of MPA by colestyramine, caution should be used in the concomitant administration of mycophenolate with medicinal products that interfere with enterohepatic recirculation because of the potential to reduce the efficacy of mycophenolate.



The risk: benefit of mycophenolate mofetil in combination with tacrolimus has not been established (see also section 4.5).



4.5 Interaction With Other Medicinal Products And Other Forms Of Interaction



Interaction studies have only been performed in adults.



Aciclovir: higher aciclovir plasma concentrations were observed when mycophenolate mofetil was administered with aciclovir in comparison to the administration of each substance alone. The changes in MPAG pharmacokinetics (MPAG increased by 8 %) were minimal and are not considered clinically significant. Because MPAG plasma concentrations are increased in the presence of renal impairment, as are aciclovir concentrations, the potential exists for mycophenolate mofetil and aciclovir, or its prodrugs, e.g. valaciclovir, to compete for tubular secretion and further increases in concentrations of both substances may occur.



Antacids with magnesium and aluminium hydroxides: absorption of mycophenolate mofetil was decreased when administered with antacids.



Colestyramine: following single dose administration of 1.5 g of mycophenolate mofetil to normal healthy subjects pre-treated with 4 g TID (three times a day) of colestyramine for 4 days, there was a 40 % reduction in the AUC of MPA (see section 4.4, and section 5.2). Caution should be used during concomitant administration because of the potential to reduce efficacy of mycophenolate.



Medicinal products that interfere with enterohepatic circulation: caution should be used with medicinal products that interfere with enterohepatic circulation because of their potential to reduce the efficacy of mycophenolate.



Ciclosporin A: ciclosporin A pharmacokinetics were unaffected by mycophenolate mofetil. In contrast, if concomitant ciclosporin treatment is stopped, an increase in MPA AUC of around 30% should be expected.



Ganciclovir: based on the results of a single dose administration study of recommended doses of oral mycophenolate and IV ganciclovir and the known effects of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate (see section 4.2) and ganciclovir, it is anticipated that co-administration of these agents (which compete for mechanisms of renal tubular secretion) will result in increases in MPAG and ganciclovir concentration. No substantial alteration of MPA pharmacokinetics are anticipated and mycophenolate dose adjustment is not required. In patients with renal impairment in which mycophenolate and ganciclovir or its prodrugs, e.g. valganciclovir, are co-administered the dose recommendations for ganciclovir should be observed and patients monitored carefully.



Oral contraceptives: the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral contraceptives were unaffected by coadministration of mycophenolate (see also section 5.2).



Rifampicin: in patients not also taking ciclosporin, concomitant administration of mycophenolate mofetil and rifampicin resulted in a decrease in MPA exposure (AUC0-12h) of 18% to 70%. It is recommended to monitor MPA exposure levels and to adjust mycophenolate mofetil doses accordingly to maintain clinical efficacy when rifampicin is administered concomitantly.



Sirolimus: in renal transplant patients, concomitant administration of mycophenolate mofetil and CsA resulted in reduced MPA exposures by 30-50% compared with patients receiving the combination of sirolimus and similar doses of mycophenolate mofetil (see also section 4.4).



Sevelamer: decrease in MPA Cmax and AUC0-12 by 30% and 25%, respectively, were observed when mycophenolate mofetil was concomitantly administered with sevelamer without any clinical consequences (i.e. graft rejection). It is recommended, however, to administer mycophenolate mofetil at least one hour before or three hours after sevelamer intake to minimise the impact on the absorption of MPA. There is no data on mycophenolate mofetil with phosphate binders other than sevelamer.



Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole: no effect on the bioavailability of MPA was observed.



Norfloxacin and metronidazole: in healthy volunteers, no significant interaction was observed when mycophenolate mofetil was concomitantly administered with norfloxacin and metronidazole separately. However, norfloxacin and metronidazole combined reduced the MPA exposure by approximately 30 % following a single dose of mycophenolate mofetil.



Tacrolimus: in liver transplant recipients initiated on mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus, the AUC and Cmax of MPA, the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil, were not significantly affected by trough tacrolimus level. In renal transplant patients, the tacrolimus concentration did not appear to be altered by mycophenolate mofetil. However, in hepatic transplant patients, there was an increase of approximately 20 % in tacrolimus AUC when multiple doses of mycophenolate mofetil (1.5 g BID) were administered to patients taking tacrolimus (see also section 4.4).



Other interactions: co-administration of probenecid with mycophenolate mofetil in monkeys raises plasma AUC of MPAG by 3-fold. Thus, other substances known to undergo renal tubular secretion may compete with MPAG and thereby raise plasma concentrations of MPAG or the other substance undergoing tubular secretion.



Live vaccines: live vaccines should not be given to patients with an impaired immune response. The antibody response to other vaccines may be diminished (see also section 4.4).



4.6 Pregnancy And Lactation



It is recommended that mycophenolate therapy should not be initiated until a negative pregnancy test has been obtained. Effective contraception must be used before beginning mycophenolate therapy, during therapy, and for six weeks following discontinuation of therapy (see section 4.5). Patients should be instructed to consult their physician immediately should pregnancy occur.



The use of mycophenolate is not recommended during pregnancy and should be reserved for cases where no more suitable alternative treatment is available. Mycophenolate should be used in pregnant women only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the foetus. There is limited data from the use of mycophenolate in pregnant women. However, congenital malformations including ear malformations, i.e. abnormally formed or absent external/middle ear, have been reported in children of patients exposed to mycophenolate in combination with other immunosuppressants during pregnancy. Cases of spontaneous abortions have been reported in patients exposed to mycophenolate. Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3). The potential risk for humans is unknown.



Mycophenolate mofetil has been shown to be excreted in the milk of lactating rats. It is not known whether this substance is excreted in human milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions to mycophenolate mofetil in breast-fed infants, Mycophenolate is contraindicated in nursing mothers (see section 4.3).



4.7 Effects On Ability To Drive And Use Machines



No studies on the effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed.



The pharmacodynamic profile and the reported adverse reactions indicate that an effect is unlikely.



4.8 Undesirable Effects



The following undesirable effects cover adverse reactions from clinical trials:



The principal adverse reactions associated with the administration of mycophenolate mofetil in combination with ciclosporin and corticosteroids include diarrhoea, leucopenia, sepsis and vomiting and there is evidence of a higher frequency of certain types of infections (see section 4.4).



Malignancies:



Patients receiving immunosuppressive regimens involving combinations of medicinal products, including mycophenolate mofetil, are at increased risk of developing lymphomas and other malignancies, particularly of the skin (see section 4.4). Lymphoproliferative disease or lymphoma developed in 0.6 % of patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil (2 g or 3 g daily) in combination with other immunosuppressants in controlled clinical trials of renal (2 g data), cardiac and hepatic transplant patients followed for at least 1 year. Non-melanoma skin carcinomas occurred in 3.6 % of patients; other types of malignancy occurred in 1.1 % of patients. Three-year safety data in renal and cardiac transplant patients did not reveal any unexpected changes in incidence of malignancy compared to the 1-year data. Hepatic transplant patients were followed for at least 1 year, but less than 3 years.



Opportunistic infections:



All transplant patients are at increased risk of opportunistic infections; the risk increased with total immunosuppressive load (see section 4.4). The most common opportunistic infections in patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil (2 g or 3 g daily) with other immunosuppressants in controlled clinical trials of renal (2 g data), cardiac and hepatic transplant patients followed for at least 1 year were candida mucocutaneous, CMV viraemia/syndrome and Herpes simplex. The proportion of patients with CMV viraemia/syndrome was 13.5 %.



Children and adolescents (aged 2 to 18 years):



The type and frequency of adverse reactions in a clinical study, which recruited 92 paediatric patients aged 2 to 18 years who were given 600 mg/m2 mycophenolate mofetil orally twice daily, were generally similar to those observed in adult patients given 1 g mycophenolate mofetil twice daily. However, the following treatment-related adverse events were more frequent in the paediatric population, particularly in children under 6 years of age, when compared to adults: diarrhoea, sepsis, leucopenia, anaemia and infection.



Elderly patients (:



Elderly patients (



Other adverse reactions:



Adverse reactions, probably or possibly related to mycophenolate mofetil, reported in



Adverse Reactions, Probably or Possibly Related to mycophenolate mofetil, Reported in Patients Treated with mycophenolate mofetil in Renal, Cardiac and Hepatic Clinical Trials when Used in Combination with Ciclosporin and Corticosteroids



Within the system organ classes, undesirable effects are listed under heading of frequency, using the following categories:



Very common (



Common (



Uncommon (



Rare (



Very rare (<1/10,000), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data)



Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.







































































































System organ class




Adverse drug reactions


 


Infections and infestations




Very common




Sepsis, gastrointestinal candidiasis, urinary tract infection, herpes simplex, herpes zoster




Common




Pneumonia, influenza, respiratory tract infection, respiratory moniliasis, gastrointestinal infection, candidiasis, gastroenteritis, infection, bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, fungal skin infection, skin candida, vaginal candidiasis, rhinitis


 


Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps)




Very common




-




Common




Skin cancer, benign neoplasm of skin


 


Blood and lymphatic system disorders




Very common




Leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia




Common




Pancytopenia, leucocytosis


 


Metabolism and nutrition disorders




Very common




-




Common




Acidosis, hyperkalaemia, hypokalaemia, hyperglycaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypocalcaemia, hypercholesterolaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hypophosphataemia, hyperuricaemia, gout, anorexia


 


Psychiatric disorders




Very common




-




Common




Agitation, confusional state, depression, anxiety, thinking abnormal, insomnia


 


Nervous system disorders




Very common




-




Common




Convulsion, hypertonia, tremor, somnolence, myasthenic syndrome, dizziness, headache, paraesthesia, dysgeusia


 


Cardiac disorders




Very common




-




Common




Tachycardia


 


Vascular disorders




Very common




-




Common




Hypotension, hypertension, vasodilatation


 


Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders




Very common




-




Common




Pleural effusion, dyspnoea, cough


 


Gastrointestinal disorders




Very common




Vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea




Common




Gastrointestinal haemorrhage, peritonitis, ileus, colitis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastritis, oesophagitis, stomatitis, constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, eructation


 


Hepatobiliary disorders




Very common




-




Common




Hepatitis, jaundice, hyperbilirubinaemia


 


Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders




Very common




-




Common




Skin hypertrophy, rash, acne, alopecia,


 


Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders




Very common




-




Common




Arthralgia


 


Renal and urinary disorders




Very common




-




Common




Renal impairment


 


General disorders and administration site conditions




Very common




-




Common




Oedema, pyrexia, chills, pain, malaise, asthenia,


 


Investigations




Very common




-




Common




Hepatic enzyme increased, blood creatinine increased, blood lactate dehydrogenase increased, blood urea increased, blood alkaline phosphatase increased, weight decreased


 


Note: 501 (2 g mycophenolate mofetil daily), 289 (3 g mycophenolate mofetil daily) and 277 (2 g IV / 3 g oral mycophenolate mofetil daily) patients were treated in Phase III studies for the prevention of rejection in renal, cardiac and hepatic transplantation, respectively.



The following undesirable effects cover adverse reactions from post-marketing experience:



The types of adverse reactions reported during post-marketing with mycophenolate mofetil are similar to those seen in the controlled renal, cardiac and hepatic transplant studies. Additional adverse reactions reported during post-marketing are described below with the frequencies reported within brackets if known.



Gastrointestinal: colitis (including cytomegalovirus colitis) (



Disorders related to immunosuppression: serious life-threatening infections including meningitis, infectious endocarditis, tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infection. Cases of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), sometimes fatal, have been reported in mycophenolate mofetil treated patients. The reported cases generally had risk factors for PML, including immunosuppressant therapies and impairment of immune function.



Agranulocytosis(



Hypersensitivity: Hypersensitivity reactions, including angioedema and anaphylaxis, have been reported.



Congenital disorders: see further details in section 4.6.



4.9 Overdose



Reports of overdoses with mycophenolate mofetil have been received from clinical trials and during post-marketing experience. In many of these cases, no adverse events were reported. In those overdose cases in which adverse events were reported, the events fall within the known safety profile of the medicinal product.



It is expected that an overdose of mycophenolate mofetil could possibly result in oversuppression of the immune system and increase susceptibility to infections and bone marrow suppression (see section 4.4). If neutropenia develops, dosing with Mycophenolate should be interrupted or the dose reduced (see section 4.4).



Haemodialysis would not be expected to remove clinically significant amounts of MPA or MPAG. By interfering with enterohepatic circulation of the medicinal product, bile acid sequestrants, such as colestyramine, reduce the MPA AUC.



5. Pharmacological Properties



5.1 Pharmacodynamic Properties



Pharmacotherapeutic group: immunosuppressant, ATC code: LO4AA06.



Mycophenolate mofetil is the 2-morpholinoethyl ester of MPA. MPA is a potent, selective, uncompetitive and reversible inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, and therefore inhibits the de novo pathway of guanosine nucleotide synthesis without incorporation into DNA.



Because T- and B-lymphocytes are critically dependent for their proliferation on de novo synthesis of purines whereas other cell types can utilise salvage pathways, MPA has more potent cytostatic effects on lymphocytes than on other cells.



5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties



Following oral administration, mycophenolate mofetil undergoes rapid and extensive absorption and complete presystemic metabolism to the active metabolite, MPA. As evidenced by suppression of acute rejection following renal transplantation, the immunosuppressant activity of mycophenolate is correlated with MPA concentration. The mean bioavailability of oral mycophenolate mofetil, based on MPA AUC, is 94 % relative to IV mycophenolate mofetil. Food had no effect on the extent of absorption (MPA AUC) of mycophenolate mofetil when administered at doses of 1.5 g BID to renal transplant patients. However, MPA Cmax was decreased by 40 % in the presence of food.



Mycophenolate mofetil is not measurable systemically in plasma following oral administration. MPA at clinically relevant concentrations, is 97 % bound to plasma albumin.



As a result of enterohepatic recirculation, secondary increases in plasma MPA concentration are usually observed at approximately 6 – 12 hours post-dose. A reduction in the AUC of MPA of approximately 40 % is associated with the co-administration of colestyramine (4 g TID), indicating that there is a significant amount of enterohepatic recirculation.



MPA is metabolised principally by glucuronyl transferase to form the phenolic glucuronide of MPA (MPAG), which is not pharmacologically active.



A negligible amount of substance is excreted as MPA (< 1 % of dose) in the urine. Orally administered radiolabelled mycophenolate mofetil results in complete recovery of the administered dose; with 93 % of the administered dose recovered in the urine and 6 % recovered in the faeces. Most (about 87 %) of the administered dose is excreted in the urine as MPAG.



At clinically encountered concentrations, MPA and MPAG are not removed by haemodialysis. However, at high MPAG plasma concentrations (> 100µg/ml), small amounts of MPAG are removed.



In the early post-transplant period (< 40 days post-transplant), renal, cardiac and hepatic transplant patients had mean MPA AUCs approximately 30 % lower and Cmax approximately 40 % lower compared to the late post-transplant period (3 – 6 months post-transplant).



Renal impairment:



In a single dose study (6 subjects/group), mean plasma MPA AUC observed in subjects with severe chronic renal impairment (glomerular filtration rate <25 ml/min/1.73 m2) were 28 – 75 % higher relative to the means observed in normal healthy subjects or subjects with lesser degrees of renal impairment. However, the mean single dose MPAG AUC was 3 – 6-fold higher in subjects with severe renal impairment than in subjects with mild renal impairment or normal healthy subjects, consistent with the known renal elimination of MPAG. Multiple dosing of mycophenolate mofetil in patients with severe chronic renal impairment has not been studied. No data are available for cardiac or hepatic transplant patients with severe chronic renal impairment.



Delayed renal graft function:



In patients with delayed renal graft function post-transplant, mean MPA AUC (0–12h) was comparable to that seen in post-transplant patients without delayed graft function. Mean plasma MPAG AUC (0-12h) was 2 – 3-fold higher than in post-transplant patients without delayed graft function. There may be a transient increase in the free fraction and concentration of plasma MPA in patients with delayed renal graft function. Dose adjustment of mycophenolate does not appear to be necessary.



Hepatic impairment:



In volunteers with alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatic MPA glucuronidation processes were relatively unaffected by hepatic parenchymal disease. Effects of hepatic disease on this process probably depend on the particular disease. However, hepatic disease with predominantly biliary damage, such as primary biliary cirrhosis, may show a different effect.



Children and adolescents (aged 2 to 18 years):



Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated in 49 paediatric renal transplant patients given 600 mg/m2 mycophenolate mofetil orally twice daily. This dose achieved MPA AUC values similar to those seen in adult renal transplant patients receiving mycophenolate at a dose of 1 g BID in the early and late posttransplant period. MPA AUC values across age groups were similar in the early and late posttransplant period.



Elderly patients (:



Pharmacokinetic behavior of mycophenolate in the elderly has not been formally evaluated.



Oral contraceptives:



The pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives were unaffected by coadministration of mycophenolate (see also section 4.5). A study of the coadministration of mycophenolate (1 g bid) and combined oral contraceptives containing ethinylestradiol (0.02 mg to 0.04 mg) and levonorgestrel (0.05 mg to 0.15 mg), desogestrel (0.15 mg) or gestodene (0.05 mg to 0.10 mg) conducted in 18 non-transplant women (not taking other immunosuppressants) over 3 consecutive menstrual cycles showed no clinically relevant influence of mycophenolate on the ovulation suppressing action of the oral contraceptives. Serum levels of LH, FSH and progesterone were not significantly affected.



5.3 Preclinical Safety Data



In experimental models, mycophenolate mofetil was not tumourigenic. The highest dose tested in the animal carcinogenicity studies resulted in approximately 2 – 3 times the systemic exposure (AUC or Cmax) observed in renal transplant patients at the recommended clinical dose of 2 g/day and 1.3 – 2 times the systemic exposure (AUC or Cmax) observed in cardiac transplant patients at the recommended clinical dose of 3 g/day.



Two genotoxicity assays (in vitro mouse lymphoma assay and in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus test) showed a potential of mycophenolate mofetil to cause chromosomal aberrations. These effects can be related to the pharmacodynamic mode of action, i.e. inhibition of nucleotide synthesis in sensitive cells. Other in vitro tests for detection of gene mutation did not demonstrate genotoxic activity.



Mycophenolate mofetil had no effect on fertility of male rats at oral doses up to 20 mg/kg/day.



The systemic exposure at this dose represents 2 to 3 times the clinical exposure at the recommended clinical dose of 2 g/day in renal transplant patients and 1.3 – 2 times the clinical exposure at the recommended clinical dose of 3 g/day in cardiac transplant patients. In a female fertility and reproduction study conducted in rats, oral doses of 4.5 mg/kg/day caused malformations (including anophthalmia, agnathia, and hydrocephaly) in the first generation offspring in the absence of maternal toxicity. The systemic exposure at this dose was approximately 0.5 times the clinical exposure at the recommended clinical dose of 2 g/day for renal transplant patients and approximately 0.3 times the clinical exposure at the recommended clinical dose of 3 g/day for cardiac transplant patients. No effects on fertility or reproductive parameters were evident in the dams or in the subsequent generation.



In teratology studies in rats and rabbits, foetal resorptions and malformations occurred in rats at 6 mg/kg/day (including anophthalmia, agnathia, and hydrocephaly) and in rabbits at 90 mg/kg/day (including cardiovascular and renal anomalies, such as ectopia cordis and ectopic kidneys, and diaphragmatic and umbilical hernia), in the absence of maternal toxicity. The systemic exposure at these levels are approximately equivalent to or less than 0.5 times the clinical exposure at the recommended clinical dose of 2 g/day for renal transplant patients and approximately 0.3 times the clinical exposure at the recommended clinical dose of 3 g/day for cardiac transplant patients.(See section 4.6).



The haematopoietic and lymphoid systems were the primary organs affected in toxicology studies conducted with mycophenolate mofetil in the rat, mouse, dog and monkey. These effects occurred at systemic exposure levels that are equivalent to or less than the clinical exposure at the recommended dose of 2 g/day for renal transplant recipients. Gastrointestinal effects were observed in the dog at systemic exposure levels equivalent to or less than the clinical exposure at the recommended doses. Gastrointestinal and renal effects consistent with dehydration were also observed in the monkey at the highest dose (systemic exposure levels equivalent to or greater than clinical exposure). The nonclinical toxicity profile of mycophenolate mofetil appears to be consistent with adverse events observed in human clinical trials which now provide safety data of more relevance to the patient population (see section 4.8).



6. Pharmaceutical Particulars



6.1 List Of Excipients



Core content:



Cellulose microcrystalline



Povidone



Talc



Magnesium stearate



Croscarmellose sodium



Coating content:



Hypromellose



Hydroxypropylcellulose



Titanium dioxide (E171)



Macrogol( 400)



Iron Oxide Black (E172)



Iron Oxide Red (E172)



6.2 Incompatibilities



Not applicable.



6.3 Shelf Life



2 years



6.4 Special Precautions For Storage



This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.



6.5 Nature And Contents Of Container



PVC/PE/PVdC/Al blister



Pack sizes: 50, 100, 120, 150, 180 film-coated tablets.



HDPE Bottle



Pack sizes: 50, 150 film-coated tablets.



Not all pack sizes may be marketed.



6.6 Special Precautions For Disposal And Other Handling



Because mycophenolate mofetil has demonstrated teratogenic effects in rats and rabbits, tablets should not be crushed.



Any unused product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.



7. Marketing Authorisation Holder



Sandoz Limited



Frimley Business Park,



Frimley,



Camberley,



Surrey,



GU16 7SR.



United Kingdom



8. Marketing Authorisation Number(S)



PL 04416/0822



9. Date Of First Authorisation/Renewal Of The Authorisation



29/07/2008



10. Date Of Revision Of The Text



November 2010




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