Forsteo 20 micrograms/80 microlitres solution for injection in pre-filled pen

FORSTEO^® 20 micrograms/80 microliters solution for injection in pre-filled pen

teriparatide

FORSTEO contains the active substance teriparatide that is used to make the bones stronger, and to reduce the risk of fractures by stimulating bone formation.

FORSTEO is used to treat osteoporosis in adults. Osteoporosis is a disease that causes your bones to become thin and fragile. This disease is especially common in women after the menopause, but it can also occur in men. Osteoporosis is also common in patients receiving corticosteroids.

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you to. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

The recommended dose is 20 micrograms given once daily by injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) in the thigh or abdomen. To help you remember to take your medicine, inject it at about the same time each day.

Inject FORSTEO each day for as long as your doctor prescribes it for you. The total duration of treatment with FORSTEO should not exceed 24 months. You should not receive more than one treatment course of 24 months over your lifetime.

FORSTEO can be injected at meal times.

Read the user manual booklet, which is included in the carton for instructions on how to use the FORSTEO pen.

Injection needles are not included with the pen. Becton, Dickinson and Company pen needles can be used.

You should take your FORSTEO injection shortly after you take the pen out of the refrigerator as described in the user manual. Put the pen back into the refrigerator immediately after you have used it.

Use a new injection needle for each injection and dispose of it after each use. Never store your pen with the needle attached. Never share your FORSTEO pen with others.

Your doctor may advise you to take FORSTEO with calcium and vitamin D. Your doctor will tell you how much you should take each day.

FORSTEO can be given with or without food.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

The most common side effects are pain in limb (frequency is very common, may affect more than 1 in 10 people) and feeling sick, headache and dizziness (frequency is common). If you become dizzy (light-headed) after your injection, you should sit or lie down until you feel better. If you do not feel better, you should call a doctor before you continue treatment. Cases of fainting have been reported in association with teriparatide use.

If you experience discomfort such as redness of the skin, pain, swelling, itching, bruising or minor bleeding around the area of the injection (frequency is common), this should clear up in a few days or weeks. Otherwise tell your doctor as soon as possible.

Some patients may have experienced allergic reactions soon after injection, consisting of breathlessness, swelling of the face, rash and chest pain (frequency is rare). In rare cases, serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions including anaphylaxis can occur.

Other side effects include:

Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people

• increase in blood cholesterol levels
• depression
• neuralgic pain in the leg
• feeling faint
• irregular heart beats
• breathlessness
• increased sweating
• muscle cramps
• loss of energy
• tiredness
• chest pain
• low blood pressure
• heartburn (painful or burning sensation just below the breast bone)
• being sick(vomiting)
• a hernia of the tube that carries food to your stomach
• low haemoglobin or red blood cell count (anaemia)

Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people

• increased heart rate
• abnormal heart sound
• shortness of breath
• haemorrhoids (piles)
• accidental loss or leakage of urine
• increased need to pass water
• weight increase
• kidney stones
• pain in the muscles and pain in the joints. Some patients have experienced severe back cramps or pain which lead to hospitalisation.
• increase in blood calcium level
• increase in blood uric acid level
• increase in an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase.

Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people

• reduced kidney function, including renal failure
• swelling, mainly in the hands, feet and legs.

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 pen after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

FORSTEO should be stored in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C) at all times. You can use FORSTEO for up to 28 days after the first injection, as long as the pen is stored in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C).

Do not freeze FORSTEO. Avoid placing the pens close to the ice compartment of the refrigerator to prevent freezing. Do not use FORSTEO if it is, or has been, frozen.

Each pen should be properly disposed of after 28 days, even if it is not completely empty.

FORSTEO contains a clear and colourless solution. Do not use FORSTEO if solid particles appear or if the solution is cloudy or coloured.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use These measures will help to protect the environment.