Active ingredient
- agalsidase beta
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 04425/0768.
Fabrazyme 5 mg, powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
Package leaflet: Information for the user
Fabrazyme 5 mg
powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
agalsidase beta
Is this leaflet hard to see or read? Phone 0800 035 2525 for help.
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you
What is in this leaflet
1. What Fabrazyme is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you use Fabrazyme
3. How to use Fabrazyme
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Fabrazyme
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Fabrazyme is and what it is used for
Fabrazyme contains the active substance agalsidase beta and is used as enzyme replacement therapy in Fabry disease, where the level of α-galactosidase enzyme activity is absent or lower than normal. If you suffer from Fabry disease a fat substance, called globotriaosylceramide (GL-3), is not removed from the cells of your body and starts to accumulate in the walls of the blood vessels of your organs.
Fabrazyme is indicated for use as long-term enzyme replacement therapy in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Fabry disease.
Fabrazyme is indicated in adults, children and adolescents aged 8 years and older.
2. What you need to know before you use Fabrazyme
Do not use Fabrazyme
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using Fabrazyme.
If you are treated with Fabrazyme, you may develop infusion associated reactions. An infusion-associated reaction is any side effect occurring during the infusion or until the end of the infusion day (see section 4). If you experience a reaction like this, you should tell your doctor immediately. You may need to be given additional medicines to prevent such reactions from occurring.
Children and adolescents
No clinical studies have been performed in children 0-4 years old. The risks and benefits of Fabrazyme in children aged 5 to 7 years have not yet been established and therefore no dose can be recommended for this age group.
Other medicines and Fabrazyme
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Tell your doctor if you use any medicines containing chloroquine, amiodarone, benoquin or gentamicin. There is a theoretical risk of decreased agalsidase beta activity.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
Use of Fabrazyme during pregnancy is not recommended. There is no experience with the use of Fabrazyme in pregnant women. Fabrazyme may get into breast milk. Use of Fabrazyme during breast-feeding is not recommended. Studies have not been performed to examine the effects of Fabrazyme on fertility.
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
Do not drive or use machines if you experience dizziness, sleepiness, vertigo or fainting during or shortly after administration of Fabrazyme (see section 4). Talk to your doctor first.
Fabrazyme 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 Fabrazyme
Fabrazyme is given through a drip into a vein (by intravenous infusion). It is supplied as a powder which will be mixed with sterile water before it is given (see information for Health Care Professionals at the end of this leaflet).
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor if you are not sure.
Fabrazyme is only used under the supervision of a doctor who is knowledgeable in the treatment of Fabry disease. Your doctor may advise that you can be treated at home provided you meet certain criteria. Please contact your doctor if you would like to be treated at home.
The recommended dose of Fabrazyme for adults is 1 mg/kg body weight, once every 2 weeks. No changes in dose are necessary for patients with kidney disease.
Use in children and adolescents
The recommended dose of Fabrazyme for children and adolescents 8 – 16 years is 1 mg/kg body weight, once every 2 weeks. No changes in dose are necessary for patients with kidney disease.
If you use more Fabrazyme than you should
Doses up to 3 mg/kg body weight have shown to be safe.
If you forget to use Fabrazyme
If you have missed an infusion of Fabrazyme, please contact your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
In clinical studies side effects were mainly seen while patients were being given the medicine or shortly after (“infusion related reactions”). Severe life-threatening allergic reactions (“anaphylactoid reactions”) have been reported in some patients. If you experience any serious side effect, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Very common symptoms (may affect more than 1 in 10 people) include chills, fever, feeling cold, nausea, vomiting, headache and abnormal feelings in the skin such as burning or tingling. Your doctor may decide to lower the infusion rate or give you additional medicines to prevent such reactions from occurring.
List of other side effects:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
In some patients initially treated at the recommended dose, and whose dose was later reduced for an extended period, some symptoms of Fabry disease were reported more frequently.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor 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 Fabrazyme
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 label after ‘EXP’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Unopened vials
Store in a refrigerator (2°C – 8°C).
Reconstituted and diluted solutions
The reconstituted solution cannot be stored and should be promptly diluted. The diluted solution can be held for up to 24 hours at 2°C – 8°C.
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 protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Fabrazyme contains
What Fabrazyme looks like and contents of the pack
Fabrazyme is supplied as a white to off-white powder. After reconstitution it is a clear, colourless liquid, free from foreign matter. The reconstituted solution must be further diluted.
Package sizes: 1, 5 and 10 vials per carton. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Manufacturer
This leaflet does not contain all the information about your medicine. If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
For any information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation Holder:
This leaflet was last revised in June 2021
Other sources of information
Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency web site: http://www.ema.europa.eu. There are also links to other websites about rare diseases and treatments.
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Sanofi, 410 Thames Valley Park Drive, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1PT
+44 (0)800 035 2525