Active ingredient
- caspofungin acetate
Legal Category
POM: Prescription only medicine
POM: Prescription only medicine
The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine. It is possible that the leaflet in your medicine pack may differ from this version because it may have been updated since your medicine was packaged.
Below is a text only representation of the Patient Information Leaflet. The original leaflet can be viewed using the link above.
The text only version may be available in large print, Braille or audio CD. For further information call emc accessibility on 0800 198 5000. The product code(s) for this leaflet is: PLGB 53095/0011.
CANCIDAS 50 mg (formerly Caspofungin MSD)
Package Leaflet: Information for the user
Cancidas® 50 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
Cancidas® 70 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
caspofungin
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you or your child are given this medicine because it contains important information for you.
What is in this leaflet
1. What Cancidas is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you are given Cancidas
3. How to use Cancidas
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Cancidas
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Cancidas is and what it is used for
What Cancidas is
Cancidas contains a medicine called caspofungin. This belongs to a group of medicines called anti-fungals.
What Cancidas is used for
Cancidas is used to treat the following infections in children, adolescents and adults:
How Cancidas works
Cancidas makes fungal cells fragile and stops the fungus from growing properly. This stops the infection from spreading and gives the body’s natural defences a chance to completely get rid of the infection.
2. What you need to know before you are given Cancidas
Do not use Cancidas
If you are not sure, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you are given your medicine.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you are given Cancidas if:
If any of the above applies to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you are given Cancidas.
Cancidas may also cause Serious Cutaneous Adverse Reactions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
Other medicines and Cancidas
Please tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because Cancidas can affect the way some other medicines work. Also, some other medicines can affect the way Cancidas works.
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you are given Cancidas.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Ask your doctor for advice before taking any medicine, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding or think you are pregnant.
Driving and using machines
There is no information to suggest that Cancidas affects your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Cancidas contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per vial, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to use Cancidas
Cancidas will always be prepared and given to you by a healthcare professional.
You will be given Cancidas:
Your doctor will determine the duration of your treatment and how much Cancidas you will be given each day. Your doctor will monitor how well the medicine works for you. If you weigh more than 80 kg, you may need a different dose.
Children and adolescents
The dose for children and adolescents may differ from the adult dose.
If you have been given more Cancidas than you should
Your doctor will decide how much Cancidas you need and for how long each day. If you are worried that you may have been given too much Cancidas, tell your doctor or nurse straight away.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Tell your doctor or nurse straight away if you notice any of the following side effects – you may need urgent medical treatment:
As with any prescription medicine, some side effects may be serious. Ask your doctor for more information.
Other side effects in adults include:
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people:
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people:
Side effects in children and adolescents
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people:
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people:
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Cancidas
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 the vial (the first two numbers are the month; the next four numbers are the year). The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C).
Once Cancidas has been prepared, it should be used straight away. This is because it does not contain any ingredients to stop the growth of bacteria. Only a trained healthcare professional who has read the complete directions should prepare the medicine (please see below “Instructions of how to reconstitute and dilute Cancidas”).
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.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Cancidas contains
Cancidas 50 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
Each vial of Cancidas contains 50 mg of caspofungin.
Cancidas 70 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
Each vial of Cancidas contains 70 mg of caspofungin.
What Cancidas looks like and contents of the pack
Cancidas is a sterile, white to off-white compact powder.
Each pack contains one vial of powder.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Manufacturer
For any information about this medicinal product, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation Holder:
This leaflet was last revised in August 2020
Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency web site: http://www.ema.europa.eu.
© Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, 2020. All rights reserved.
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