Onsenal^® 400 mg hard capsules

Each capsule contains 400 mg of celecoxib.

Excipients: Lactose Monohydrate 99.6 mg For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.

Hard capsule.

White, opaque capsules with two green bands marked 7767 and 400.

Onsenal is indicated for the reduction of the number of adenomatous intestinal polyps in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), as an adjunct to surgery and further endoscopic surveillance (see section 4.4).

The effect of Onsenal-induced reduction of polyp burden on the risk of intestinal cancer has not been demonstrated (see sections 4.4 and 5.1)

The recommended oral dose is one 400 mg capsule twice per day, taken with food (see section 5.2).

Usual medical care for FAP patients should be continued while on celecoxib. The maximum recommended daily dose is 800 mg.

Hepatic impairment

In patients with moderate hepatic impairment (serum albumin of 25-35 g/l), the daily recommended dose of celecoxib should be reduced by 50% (see sections 4.3 and 5.2). Caution should be used as there is no experience in such patients at doses higher than 400 mg.

Renal impairment

Experience with celecoxib in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment is limited, therefore such patients should be treated with caution (see sections 4.3, 4.4 and 5.2).

Paediatric patients

Experience with celecoxib in FAP patients below the age of 18 years is limited to a single pilot study in a very small population, in which patients were treated with celecoxib at doses up to 16 mg/kg daily, which corresponds to the recommended adult FAP dose of 800 mg daily (see section 5.1).

CYP2C9 Poor Metabolizers

Patients who are known or suspected to be CYP2C9 poor metabolizers based on genotyping or previous history/experience with other CYP2C9 substrates should be administered celecoxib with caution, as the risk of dose-dependent adverse effects is increased.

Patients with the CYP2C9*3 allele, and, in particular those with CYP2C9*3*3 homozygous genotype, may be exposed to celecoxib levels that are higher than those for which safety has been studied in clinical trials. Therefore, the risk for high celecoxib exposure in poor metabolizers should be considered carefully when treating FAP patients. Consider starting treatment at a reduced dose (see section 5.2).

Elderly

The dose for elderly FAP patients has not been established. Special care should be used in such patients (see section 5.2).

• Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients (see section 6.1).

• Known hypersensitivity to sulphonamides.

• Active peptic ulceration or gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.

• Patients who have experienced asthma, acute rhinitis, nasal polyps, angioneurotic oedema, urticaria or other allergic-type reactions after taking acetylsalicylic acid or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including COX-2 (cyclooxigenase-2) selective inhibitors.

• In pregnancy and in women who can become pregnant unless using an effective method of contraception (see sections 4.5, 4.6 and 5.3)

• Breast feeding (see sections 4.6 and 5.3)

• Severe hepatic dysfunction (serum albumin <25 g/l or Child-Pugh score >10) (Class C).

• Patients with renal insufficiency with estimated creatinine clearance <30 ml/ min.

• Inflammatory bowel disease.

• Congestive heart failure (NYHA II-IV).

• Established ischaemic heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and/or cerebrovascular disease.

Treatment with celecoxib in FAP has been studied for up to 6 months and has not been shown to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal or other form of cancer or the need for surgery. Therefore, the usual care of FAP patients should not be altered because of the concurrent administration of celecoxib. In particular, the frequency of routine endoscopic surveillance should not be decreased and FAP-related surgery should not be delayed.

Gastro-intestinal disorder

Upper gastrointestinal complications [perforations, ulcers or bleeds (PUBs)], some of them resulting in fatal outcome, have occurred in patients treated with celecoxib. Caution is advised with treatment of patients most at risk of developing a gastrointestinal complication with NSAIDs: the elderly, patients using any other NSAID or acetylsalicylic acid concomitantly or patients with a prior history of gastrointestinal disease, such as ulceration and GI bleeding.

There is further increase in the risk of gastrointestinal adverse effects (gastrointestinal ulceration or other gastrointestinal complications) when celecoxib is taken concomitantly with acetylsalicylic acid (even at low doses). A significant difference in GI safety between selective COX-2 inhibitors + acetylsalicylic acid vs. NSAIDs + acetylsalicylic acid has not been demonstrated in long-term clinical trials (see 5.1).

The concomitant use of celecoxib and a non-aspirin NSAID should be avoided.

FAP patients carrying an ileorectal anastomosis or ileo pouch-anal anastomosis can develop anastomotic ulcerations. If an anastomotic ulcer is present, patients should not receive concomitant treatment with anticoagulants or acetyl salicylic acid.

Blood and lymphatic system disorder / Cardio-vascular disorder

Increased number of serious cardiovascular events, mainly myocardial infarction, has been found in a long-term placebo-controlled study in subjects with sporadic adenomatous polyps treated with celecoxib at doses of 200 mg BID and 400 mg BID compared to placebo (see section 5.1).

As the cardiovascular risks of celecoxib were increased with the 400 mg twice daily dose in the APC trial (section 5.1), the response of the FAP patient to celecoxib should be re-examined periodically in order to avoid unnecessary exposure in FAP patients for whom celecoxib is not effective (sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.8 and 5.1).

Patients with significant risk factors for cardiovascular events (e.g. hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking) should only be treated with celecoxib after careful consideration (see section 5.1).

COX-2 selective inhibitors are not a substitute for acetylsalicylic acid for prophylaxis of cardiovascular thrombo-embolic diseases because of their lack of antiplatelet effect. Therefore, antiplatelet therapies should not be discontinued (see section 5.1).

As with other medicinal products known to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, fluid retention and oedema have been observed in patients taking celecoxib. Therefore, celecoxib should be used with caution in patients with history of cardiac failure, left ventricular dysfunction or hypertension, and in patients with pre-existing oedema from any other reason, since prostaglandin inhibition may result in deterioration of renal function and fluid retention. Caution is also required in patients taking diuretic treatment or otherwise at risk of hypovolaemia.

As with all NSAIDS, celecoxib can lead to the onset of new hypertension or worsening of pre-existing hypertension, either of which may contribute to the increased incidence of cardiovascular events. Therefore, blood pressure should be monitored closely during the initiation of therapy with celecoxib and throughout the course of therapy.

In the event of elderly patients with mild to moderate cardiac dysfunction requiring therapy, special care and follow up is warranted. Compromised renal or hepatic function and especially cardiac dysfunction are more likely in the elderly and therefore medically appropriate supervision should be maintained.

Renal and hepatic disorders

NSAIDs, including celecoxib, may cause renal toxicity. Clinical trials with celecoxib have shown renal effects similar to those observed with comparator NSAIDs. Patients at greatest risk for renal toxicity are those with impaired renal function, heart failure, liver dysfunction, and the elderly. Such patients should be carefully monitored while receiving treatment with celecoxib.

Experience with celecoxib in patients with mild or moderate renal or hepatic impairment is limited, therefore such patients should be treated with caution (see sections 4.2 and 5.2).

If during treatment, patients deteriorate in any of the organ system functions described above, appropriate measures should be taken and discontinuation of celecoxib therapy should be considered.

Skin Reactions

Serious skin reactions, some of them fatal, including exfoliative dermatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis, have been reported very rarely in association with the use of celecoxib (see section 4.8). Patients appear to be at highest risk for these reactions early in the course of therapy; the onset of the reaction occurring in the majority of cases within the first month of treatment. Serious hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylaxis and angioedema) have been reported in patients receiving celecoxib (see section 4.8). Patients with a history of sulphonamide allergy or any drug allergy may be at greater risk of serious skin reactions or hypersensitivity reactions (see section 4.3). Celecoxib should be discontinued at the first appearance of skin rash, mucosal lesions, or any other sign of hypersensitivity.

Other

Patients known to be CYP2C9 poor metabolisers should be treated with caution (see section 5.2).

Celecoxib may mask fever and other signs of inflammation.

In patients on concurrent therapy with warfarin, serious bleeding events have been reported. Caution should be exercised when combining celecoxib with warfarin and other oral anticoagulants (see section 4.5).

Onsenal 400 mg capsules contain lactose (99.6 mg). Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.

Pharmacodynamic interactions

The majority of the interaction studies have been performed with celecoxib doses of 200 mg BID (i.e. those used for osteoarthritis/rheumatoid arthritis). A more pronounced effect at 400 mg BID therefore cannot be excluded.

Anticoagulant activity should be monitored in patients taking warfarin or other anticoagulants, particularly in the first few days after initiating or changing the dose of celecoxib, since these patients have an increased risk of bleeding complications. Therefore, patients receiving oral anticoagulants should be closely monitored for their prothrombin time INR. Bleeding events in association with increases in prothrombin time have been reported in arthritis patients (mainly elderly) receiving celecoxib concurrently with warfarin, some of them fatal (see section 4.4).

NSAIDs may reduce the effect of diuretics and antihypertensive medicinal products. As for NSAIDs, the risk of acute renal insufficiency, which is usually reversible, may be increased in some patients with compromised renal function (e.g. dehydrated patients or elderly patients) when ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor antagonists are combined with NSAIDs, including celecoxib. Therefore, the combination should be administered with caution, especially in the elderly. Patients should be adequately hydrated and consideration should be given to monitoring of renal function after initiation of concomitant therapy, and periodically thereafter.

In a 28-day clinical study in patients with lisinopril-controlled Stage I and II hypertension, administration of celecoxib 200 mg BID resulted in no clinically significant increases, when compared to placebo treatment, in mean daily systolic or diastolic blood pressure as determined using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Among patients treated with celecoxib 200 mg BID, 48% were considered unresponsive to lisinopril at the final clinic visit (defined as either cuff diastolic blood pressure>90 mmHg or cuff diastolic blood pressure increased>10% compared to baseline), compared to 27% of patients treated with placebo; this difference was statistically significant.

Co-administration of NSAIDs and cyclosporine D derivatives or tacrolimus have been suggested to increase the nephrotoxic effect of cyclosporin and tacrolimus. Renal function should be monitored when celecoxib and any of these medicinal products are combined.

Celecoxib can be used with low dose acetylsalicylic acid, however it cannot be considered a substitute for acetylsalicylic acid for cardiovascular prophylaxis. As with other NSAIDs, an increased risk of gastrointestinal ulceration or other gastrointestinal complications compared to use of celecoxib alone was shown for concomitant administration of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (see section 5.1).

Pharmacokinetic interactions

Effects of celecoxib on other medicinal products

Celecoxib is a weak inhibitor of CYP2D6. During celecoxib treatment, the mean plasma concentrations of the CYP2D6 substrate dextromethorphan were increased by 136%. The plasma concentrations of medicinal products that are substrates of this enzyme may be increased when celecoxib is used concomitantly. Examples of medicines which are metabolised by CYP2D6 are antidepressants (tricyclics and SSRIs), neuroleptics, anti-arrhythmics, etc. The dose of individually dose-titrated CYP2D6 substrates may need to be reduced when treatment with celecoxib is initiated or increased if treatment with celecoxib is terminated.

In vitro studies have shown some potential for celecoxib to inhibit CYP2C19 catalysed metabolism. The clinical significance of this in vitro finding is unknown. Examples of medicinal products which are metabolised by CYP2C19 are diazepam, citalopram and imipramine.

In an interaction study, celecoxib had no clinically relevant effects on the pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives (1 mg norethistherone /35 microg ethinylestradiol).

Celecoxib does not affect the pharmacokinetics of tolbutamide (CYP2C9 substrate), or glibenclamide to a clinically relevant extent.

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis celecoxib had no statistically significant effect on the pharmacokinetics (plasma or renal clearance) of methotrexate (in rheumatologic doses). However, adequate monitoring for methotrexate-related toxicity should be considered when combining these two drugs.

In healthy subjects, co-administration of celecoxib 200 mg twice daily with 450 mg twice daily of lithium resulted in a mean increase in C_max of 16% and in AUC of 18% of lithium. Therefore, patients on lithium treatment should be closely monitored when celecoxib is introduced or withdrawn.

Effects of other medicinal products on celecoxib

In individuals who are CYP2C9 poor metabolisers and demonstrate increased systemic exposure to celecoxib, concomitant treatment with CYP2C9 inhibitors (eg. fluconazole, amiodarone) could result in further increases in celecoxib exposure. Such combinations should be avoided in known CYP2C9 poor metabolisers (see sections 4.2 and 5.2).

Since celecoxib is predominantly metabolised by CYP2C9 it should be used at half the recommended dose in patients receiving fluconazole. Concomitant use of 200 mg single dose of celecoxib and 200 mg once daily of fluconazole, a potent CYP2C9 inhibitor, resulted in a mean increase in celecoxib C_max of 60% and in AUC of 130% (analogous studies have not been performed with amiodarone or other known CYP2C9 inhibitors). Concomitant use of inducers of CYP2C9 such as rifampicin, carbamazepine and barbiturates may reduce plasma concentrations of celecoxib.

For celecoxib no clinical data on exposed pregnancies are available.. Studies in animals (rats and rabbits) have shown reproductive toxicity (see sections 4.3 and 5.3). The potential risk for humans is unknown. Celecoxib, as with other medicinal products inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis, may cause uterine inertia and premature closure of the ductus arteriosus during the last trimester. Celecoxib is contraindicated in pregnancy and in women who can become pregnant unless using an effective method of contraception (see section 4.3). If a woman becomes pregnant during treatment, celecoxib should be discontinued.

Celecoxib is excreted in the milk of lactating rats at concentrations similar to those in plasma. Administration of celecoxib to a limited number of lactating women has shown a very low transfer of celecoxib into breast milk. Women who take celecoxib should not breastfeed.

No studies on the effect on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed. However, patients who experience dizziness, vertigo or somnolence while taking celecoxib should refrain from driving or operating machinery.

Adverse reactions are listed by system organ class and ranked by frequency in Table 1, reflecting data from the following sources:

- Adverse reactions reported in osteoarthritis patients and rheumatoid arthritis patients at incidence rates greater than 0.01% and greater than those reported for placebo during 12 placebo- and/or active-controlled clinical trials of duration up to 12 weeks at celecoxib daily doses from 100 mg up to 800 mg. In additional studies using non-selective NSAID comparators, approximately 7400 arthritis patients have been treated with celecoxib at daily doses up to 800 mg, including approximately 2300 patients treated for 1 year or longer. The adverse reactions observed with celecoxib in these additional studies were consistent with those for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients listed in Table 1.

- Adverse drug reactions from post-marketing surveillance as spontaneously reported during a period in which an estimated>70 million patients were treated with celecoxib (various doses, durations, and indications). Because not all adverse drug reactions are reported to the MAH and included in the safety database, the frequencies of these reactions cannot be reliably determined.

The additional adverse reactions listed by system organ class and ranked by frequency in Table 2 were reported at incidence rates greater than placebo for subjects treated with celecoxib 400 mg to 800 mg daily in long-term polyp prevention trials of duration up to 3 years (the APC and PreSAP trials; see Section 5.1, Pharmacodynamic properties: Cardiovascular Safety – LongTerm Studies Involving Patients With Sporadic Adenomatous Polyps).

In final data (adjudicated) from the APC trial in patients treated with celecoxib 800 mg daily for up to 3 years, the excess rates over placebo were 11 events per 1000 patients for myocardial infarction (common); and 5 events per 1000 patients for stroke (uncommon; types of stroke not differentiated).

There is no clinical experience of overdose in clinical trials. Single doses up to 1400 mg and multiple doses up to 1400 mg twice daily have been administered to healthy subjects for nine days without clinically significant adverse events. In the event of suspected overdose, appropriate supportive medical care should be provided e.g. by eliminating the gastric contents, clinical supervision and, if necessary, the institution of symptomatic treatment. Dialysis is unlikely to be an efficient method of medicinal product removal due to high protein binding.

Pharmacotherapeutic group: Antineoplastic, ATC code: L01XX33

Celecoxib is a diaryl-substituted pyrazole, chemically similar to other non-arylamine sulfonamides (e.g. thiazides, furosemide) but differing from arylamine sulfonamides (e.g. sulfamethoxizole and other sulfonamide antibiotics).

Celecoxib is an oral, selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor. No statistically significant inhibition of COX-1 (assessed as ex vivo inhibition of thromboxane B₂ [TxB₂] formation) was observed in healthy volunteers at the FAP therapeutic dose of 400 mg BID.

Cyclooxygenase is responsible for generation of prostaglandins. Two isoforms, COX-1 and COX-2, have been identified. COX-2 is the isoform of the enzyme that has been shown to be induced by pro-inflammatory stimuli and has been postulated to be primarily responsible for the synthesis of prostanoid mediators of pain, inflammation and fever. Elevated levels of COX-2 are found in many pre-malignant lesions (such as adenomatous colorectal polyps) and epithelial cancers. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) is a genetic disease resulting from an autosomal dominant genetic alteration of a tumor suppressor gene, the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. Polyps with the APC mutation overexpress COX-2 and left untreated, these polyps continue to form and enlarge in the colon or rectum resulting in essentially a 100% chance of developing colorectal cancer. COX-2 is also involved in ovulation, implantation and closure of the ductus arteriosus, regulation of renal function, and central nervous system functions (fever induction, pain perception and cognitive function). It may also play a role in ulcer healing. COX-2 has been identified in tissue around gastric ulcers in man but its relevance to ulcer healing has not been established.

The difference in antiplatelet activity between some COX-1 inhibiting NSAIDs and COX-2 selective inhibitors may be of clinical significance in patients at risk of thrombo-embolic reactions. COX-2 inhibitors reduce the formation of systemic (and therefore possibly endothelial) prostacyclin without affecting platelet thromboxane.

A dose-dependent effect on TxB₂ formation has been observed after high doses of celecoxib. However, in small multiple dose studies in healthy subjects with 600 mg BID celecoxib had no effect on platelet aggregation and bleeding time compared to placebo.

Experimental evidence shows that the mechanism(s) of action by which celecoxib leads to tumour death may be related to induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. Inhibition of COX-2 may have consequences on tumour viability that are unrelated to inflammation.

Celecoxib inhibits tumour formation in preclinical models of colon cancer, which overexpress COX-2, whether induced by chemical (rat AOM model) or genetic (MIN mouse model) mutation.

Celecoxib has been shown to reduce the number and size of adenomatous colorectal polyps. A randomized double-blind placebo controlled study was conducted in 83 patients with FAP. The study population included 58 patients with a prior subtotal or total colectomy and 25 patients with an intact colon. Thirteen patients had the attenuated FAP phenotype. The mean reduction in the number of colorectal polyps following six months of treatment was 28% (SD + 24%) for celecoxib 400 mg BID which was statistically superior to placebo (mean 5%, SD +16%). A meaningful reduction in duodenal adenoma area was also observed compared with placebo (14.5% celecoxib 400 mg BID versus 1.4% placebo), which however was not statistically significant.

Pilot Study in Juvenile FAP Patients

A total of 18 children 10 to 14 years of age who had genotype or phenotype positive FAP were treated with celecoxib 4 mg/kg/day (4 patients, compared to 2 patients treated with placebo), celecoxib 8 mg/kg/day (4 patients, compared to 2 patients treated with placebo), or celecoxib 16 mg/kg/day (4 patients, compared to 2 patients treated with placebo). Results demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in polyp burden in all celecoxib treatment groups compared to the corresponding placebo treatment groups. The greatest reduction was observed in patients treated with celecoxib 16 mg/kg/day, which corresponds to the recommended adult FAP dose of 800 mg daily. Safety data were reviewed in detail by a Data Safety Monitoring Committee, which concluded that celecoxib 16 mg/kg/day was a safe dose to recommend for further studies in juvenile FAP patients.

The long-term cardiovascular toxicity in children exposed to celecoxib has not been evaluated and it is unknown if the long-term risk may be similar to that seen in adults exposed to celecoxib or other COX-2 selective and non-selective NSAIDs (see section 4.4; cardiovascular effects).

Cardiovascular Safety – Long-Term Studies Involving Subjects With Sporadic Adenomatous Polyps

Two studies involving subjects with sporadic adenomatous polyps were conducted with celecoxib i.e., the APC trial (Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib) and the PreSAP trial (Prevention of Spontaneous Adenomatous Polyps). In the APC trial, there was a dose-related increase in the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (adjudicated) with celecoxib compared to placebo over 3 years of treatment. The PreSAP trial did not demonstrate a statistically significant increased risk for the same composite endpoint.

In the APC trial, the relative risks compared to placebo for a composite endpoint (adjudicated) of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke were 3.4 (95% CI 1.4 8.5) with celecoxib 400 mg twice daily and 2.8 (95% CI 1.1 7.2) with celecoxib 200 mg twice daily. Cumulative rates for this composite endpoint over 3 years were 3.0% (20/671 subjects) and 2.5% (17/685 subjects), respectively, compared to 0.9% (6/679 subjects) for placebo. The increases for both celecoxib dose groups versus placebo were mainly due to an increased incidence of myocardial infarction.

In the PreSAP trial, the relative risk compared to placebo for this same composite endpoint (adjudicated) was 1.2 (95% CI 0.6 2.4) with celecoxib 400 mg once daily compared to placebo. Cumulative rates for this composite endpoint over 3 years were 2.3% (21/933 subjects) and 1.9% (12/628 subjects), respectively. The incidence of myocardial infarction (adjudicated) was 1.0% with (9/933 subjects) with celecoxib 400 mg once daily and 0.6% (4/628 subjects) with placebo.

Data from a third long-term study, ADAPT (The Alzheimer's Disease Anti-inflammatory Prevention Trial), did not show a significantly increased cardiovascular risk with celecoxib 200mg BID compared to placebo. The relative risk compared to placebo for a similar composite endpoint (CV death, MI, stroke) was 1.14 (95% CI 0.61 2.12) with celecoxib 200 mg twice daily. The incidence of myocardial infarction was 1.1% (8/717 patients) with celecoxib 200 mg twice daily and 1.2% (13/1070 patients) with placebo.

Data from pooled analysis of controlled randomized trials also suggest that cardiovascular risk may be associated with the use of celecoxib compared to placebo, with evidence for differences in risk based on celecoxib dose.

This medicinal product has been authorised under “Exceptional Circumstances”. This means that due to the rarity of the disease it has not been possible to obtain complete information on this medicinal product. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will review any new information which may become available every year and this SPC will be updated as necessary.

Celecoxib is well absorbed reaching peak plasma concentrations after approximately 2-3 hours. Dosing with food (high fat meal) delays absorption by about 1 hour with an increase in total absorption (AUC) of 10 to 20%.

Celecoxib is mainly eliminated by metabolism. Less than 1% of the dose is excreted unchanged in urine. The inter-subject variability in the exposure of celecoxib is about 10-fold. Celecoxib exhibits dose- and time-independent pharmacokinetics in the therapeutic dose range. Plasma protein binding is about 97% at therapeutic plasma concentrations and celecoxib is not preferentially bound to erythrocytes. Elimination half-life is 8-12 hours. Steady state plasma concentrations are reached within 5 days of treatment. Pharmacological activity resides in the parent substance. The main metabolites found in the circulation have no detectable COX-1 or COX-2 activity.

Celecoxib metabolism is primarily mediated via cytochrome P450 2C9. Three metabolites, inactive as COX1 or COX-2 inhibitors, have been identified in human plasma i.e., a primary alcohol, the corresponding carboxylic acid and its glucuronide conjugate. Cytochrome P450 2C9 activity is reduced in individuals with genetic polymorphisms that lead to reduced enzyme activity, such as those homozygous for the CYP2C9*3 polymorphism.

In a pharmacokinetic study of celecoxib 400 mg administered once daily in healthy volunteers, genotyped as either CYP2C9*1/*1, CYP2C9*1/*3, or CYP2C9*3/*3, the median Cmax and AUC 0-24 of celecoxib on day 7 were approximately 4-fold and 7-fold, respectively, in subjects genotyped as CYP2C9*3/*3 compared to other genotypes. In three separate single dose studies, involving a total of 5 subjects genotyped as CYP2C9*3/*3, single-dose AUC 0-24 increased by approximately 3-fold compared to normal metabolizers. It is estimated that the frequency of the homozygous *3/*3 genotype is 0.3-1.0% among different ethnic groups.

Patients who are known or suspected to be CYP2C9 poor metabolizers based on previous history/experience with other CYP2C9 substrates should be administered celecoxib with caution (see Section 4.2).

No clinically significant differences were found in pharmacokinetic parameters of celecoxib between African-Americans and Caucasians. The plasma concentration of celecoxib is approximately 100% increased in elderly women (>65 years).

Compared to subjects with normal hepatic function, patients with mild hepatic impairment had a mean increase in C_max of 53% and in AUC of 26% of celecoxib. When dosed at 200 mg per day the corresponding values in patients with moderate hepatic impairment were 41% and 146% respectively.The metabolic capacity in patients with mild to moderate impairment was best correlated to their albumin values. In FAP patients with moderate hepatic impairment (serum albumin of 25-35 g/l), the daily recommended dose of celecoxib should be reduced by 50%. Patients with severe hepatic impairment (serum albumin <25 g/l) have not been studied and celecoxib is contraindicated in this patient group.

The pharmacokinetics of celecoxib has not been studied in patients with renal impairment but is unlikely to be markedly changed in these patients since it is mainly eliminated by hepatic metabolism. There is little experience of celecoxib in renal impairment and therefore caution is advised when treating patients with renal impairment. Severe renal impairment is a contraindication to use.

Conventional embryo-foetal toxicity studies resulted in dose dependent occurrences of diaphragmatic hernia in rat foetuses and of cardiovascular malformations in rabbit foetuses at systemic exposures to free celecoxib approximately 3 times (rat) and 2 times (rabbit) higher than those achieved at the recommended daily human dose (800 mg). Diaphragmatic hernia was also seen in a peri-post natal toxicity study in rats, which included exposure during the organogenetic period. In the latter study, at the lowest systemic exposure where this anomaly occurred in a single animal, the estimated margin relative to the recommended daily human dose was 2 times more than the recommended daily human dose (800 mg).

In animals, exposure to celecoxib during early embryonic development resulted in pre-implantation and post-implantation losses. These effects are expected following inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.

Celecoxib was excreted in rat milk. In a peri-post natal study in rats, pup toxicity was observed.

In a two-year toxicity study an increase in nonadrenal thrombosis was observed in male rat at high doses.

Capsules contain:

lactose monohydrate

sodium lauryl sulphate

povidone K30

croscarmellose sodium

magnesium stearate

Capsule shells contain:

gelatin

titanium dioxide (E171)

Printing ink contains:

shellac

propylene glycol

iron oxide (E172)

Brilliant Blue FCF E133

Not applicable.

3 years.

Do not store above 30^oC.

Opaque PVC/Aclar/Aluminium foil blisters

Packs of 10 or 60 capsules.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

No special requirements.

Pfizer Limited

Ramsgate Road

Sandwich

Kent CT13 9NJ

United Kingdom

EU/1/03/259/005-006

17 October 2003/17 October 2008

28 July 2010

POM